SOOC Saturday: Being Invited

Around the first anniversary of James starting preschool, he turned four. We decided to throw him his first friends birthday party. It was simple -- we reserved a room at the local Round Table Pizza and invited his classmates. Three excited and anxious boys turned up. It was a first for them all.

There was screeching and laughter. Parents helped their kids sit still, eat their cake, and play the games. It was normal, and yet not. It was a first friends birthday party for them all and we were nervous. We wondered about our kids being invited to birthday parties and how they will act once there. New situations can be stressful and in the back of our minds we know our kids will have their own reactions that can strain a celebration a bit.

One little boy got sad and hid under his chair. James' dad got under the table and was so silly he made the little guy laugh. By the end of the party, he was up and running around with the other boys. Pin-the-Tail on the Donkey quickly turned into turn around and fall on the ground and wail "Don't Wanna" (or just wail). The Super Stomp rocket launcher, though, was a big hit! We had some tantrums and flailing when it came to taking turns, but all in all, it was a good afternoon with a group of little boys having fun together.

Flash forward 13 months. James was invited to his first birthday party for a classmate (from the mainstream preschool). It was at Chuck E. Cheese, which made me nervous. James has trouble filtering sounds, but he loves video arcades. I was very glad we tried it, and proud of how well he did. James (mostly) sat at the table with the other little kids. He did not eat the pizza, but he had punch and nibbled at the pretzels and apples that I brought for him. He was one of the few kids not scared of Chuck E. and his friends; he sang a bit of Happy Birthday and ate the cake (first time -- he hasn't eaten cake before).

He was happiest because he was seeing his friends from school on a weekend at a new place. That made me very happy too.