One of my many jobs as a stay-at-home mom is to be the sole planner of all family and social events.  I planned and executed a very successful euchre tournament last weekend, this weekend will be family day at the pumpkin patch/cider mill, niece's birthday and baseball party.  Next weekend is, of course, Halloween.  The first weekend in Nov is our school's charity ball and I am hosting a birthday party for a dear friend.  I will then be well on my way to planning for Thanksgiving and our son's 8th birthday. 

I don't know about my friends out there in JU land, but some of my fondest memories have been of birthdays and holidays.  Family reunions,vacations and gatherings with friends stick out in my mind as some of the best times of my life.  I have always been happiest surrounded by friends and family and I think my kids are that way too.

Special events take a lot of planning.  Some times proper planning can not only make the event successful but also enjoyable for all including the host.  I try to plan things so the work is done ahead so I can enjoy the friends and family once things get under way.  I am also one of those people who enjoys planning things and looking forward to events.

I recently saw Good Morning America (I think) where they pay tribute to centanarians.  This one woman was 105yrs old and contributed her longevity to always having something to look forward to.  That spoke volumes to me.  That is also why I get my kids in on planning events.  I want them to know the joy of planning and the rewards that it brings.

My son is really thinking over his birthday party.  We make a pretty big deal of birthdays.   We are trying to discourage him from having one of those laser tag, pizza place, etc type parties.  We have such a great time having parties at our house and that way it is fun for people of all ages too.

This year he doesn't really have a theme.  All we know so far is he wants to watch a movie and have a sleep-over with his friends.  He also wants our friend, an incredible artist, to draw a picture to use for a picture cake.  I love that idea!  I love how creative he gets when he thinks about stuff he likes and how he can incorporate it into his special day.

His friends still talk about his last birthday.  He was really into Bionicles so we decided to have a "Mask of Light" party.  We had a treasure hunt for the mask (I made out of paper mache and spray paint) and hid clues to its location all over the house.  Each clue lead them to the next.  The kids loved it!  His cake was a picture cake.  He had his auntie take a picture of him holding his favorite Bionicle.

I think the more personal you make an event, the more memorable and special it becomes.  Our tradition for Thanksgiving is to go to my husband's cousin's house.  She makes the turkey and everyone else brings a dish or two.  I made it my own tradition a few years ago to bring her a new turkey every year.  There was a turkey pillow, a turkey soap dispenser, turkey door hanger, and this year a turkey bread warmer.  Everyone eats too much like they are supposed to then we play cards or trivial pursuit or scrabble.  Very relaxed, not too much work for any one person and enjoyable for all.

So, I have birthday parties, Halloween parties, and holidays to plan for.  I am looking forward to making them special and memorable.  I think that is an important job, don't you?