We went to this great children's birthday party last night. I’m always a bit hesitant to go to stuff like that as I’m usually the oldest mom there by fifteen years – and I was.

I had fun though, and found lots of stuff to talk and laugh about with the other moms.

K just loves the little boy who turned three – they are only a couple of weeks apart in age. Developmentally they are about the same. They can talk above their age, (they both learned sign language as infants), and see each other in church every week, so they pick up their friendship week to week without even saying hi.

It’s fun to watch, they see each other and just go play as though they say each other a moment ago, instead of a week or two or three ago.

K talked about the party for days before. Can we go now? Is it time now? Let’s wrap the present mommy.

Mommy mommy M O M, lets GO to the party, NOW!

About ten children and parents stood around and ate pizza and drank lemonade and watched the darlings tear into the presents.

After almost three hours, the parents were tired and it was time to go home.

Out came the goody bags.

Goody bags must be a new thing. Are they?

I don’t remember my mom putting together bags of toys and candy for other children to take home after my birthday parties. Do you?

When did it become fashionable?

K lined up with the other children to get her bag and say goodbye and Happy Birthday to the host and was very happy to get in the car to check out her loot.

After she ate the very small bit of candy (thank you birthday boy Mom for not loading up the sugar), and dropped her bouncy ball in the car and found the little car, she started to cry.

I don’t want to go home, I want to go play.

Please mom, she sobbed, I want to go back and play.

She cried and cried all the way home for thirty minutes and then promptly fell asleep as we pulled in the driveway.

A successful party don’t you think?

But what about these goody bags? Am I obligated to do them for K’s party in two weeks?

I’ve got lots of Halloween candy left.