THE REAL BIRTHDAY PLANNING

Organize a birthday, it can be anxiety! 

Countdown

D-15 days. I decide to set a date for Felix's birthday. I decide to talk to Felix about it. I decide it's time to make a list. I decide to find invitation cards.

D-14 days. On the strength of my decisions the day before, I order invitation cards.

D-13 days. I pray they arrive quickly.

D-12 days. Very organized mothers distribute boxes for birthday snacks which will take place in a month.

D-12 days. Still. I sit next to Felix and we make a list. They will be 15 —15, that's not bad, we can play team games. I don't know where this idea came from, I must have read it somewhere.

D-11 days. The boxes have arrived. We are starting to fill them. Felix insists on filling them himself. It will be long.

D-10 days. Two evenings to overcome it. The boxes are ready.

D-9 days. I start distributing the boxes. The mistress explains to me that I will have to manage on my own. She is no longer authorized to distribute in class. Too many outbursts of jealousy, children who don't understand why they don't have a card... I feel like a surge of anxiety (why I wanted to organize a birthday already ?!). I don't know any of the 15 children and I'm not talking about the parents.

D-8 days. I have 10 cards left to distribute. On the way to school, Felix finds a way to invite 3 more friends. They will be 18. Help.

D-7 days. We are Saturday. I take a deep breath. I'm thinking. It's the home stretch in thebirthday organization, don't give up. I summarize: 8 cards distributed, 18 children invited, rotten weather, a not really gigantic apartment, a husband not really available, no idea what we are going to do.

D-7 days. Still. What does the internet say? It goes all over the place even though they all agree on the same thing: distribute the boxes 3 weeks before, limit the number of guests to the age of the child... It seems that I have a little breaking the basic rules.

D-6 days. I take myself in hand.

- Felix, what would you like to do for your birthday, honey?
- A pirate party with a treasure hunt!
- Wow, great!!! Let's have a pirate party.
I may have gotten a little carried away. For a pirate party, you need pirates, well-ordered ideas, treasures and well-ordered ideas. It looks like I only have the pirates…

D-5 days. I collect emails from parents of students. I send a group email. They are all invited.

D-4 days. I decide to take a break. The Mentalist imposes itself. I mentalize. I dream of ships, skulls, buried treasures, boarding.

D-3 days. I think it works for me more than I let on. I have to pull myself together. It's only one anniversary. and there will be many more. I relativize.

D-2 days. Races : candy, juices, sodas, sweets and candies. I believe I have everything. I find pirate drawings, treasure maps and all sorts of stuff on the net. I print, it can always be used.

D-1 day. I prepare the pirate cake. I'm a little under-gifted in the kitchen and Felix doesn't eat much, so we'll keep it simple. A chocolate cake on which I will recreate a playmobil pirate scene. Isn't that beautiful? I'm super proud of myself. First moment of euphoria! I take out what I printed the day before. Great moment of loneliness. It's 23 p.m.

D-day
 

7h00. Felix is ​​standing. In tip top shape. This is absolutely not the case for everyone.

7h05. Felix asks me when his friends will arrive. The day is going to be long.

7h10. Félix discovers his cake, he is over the moon. First successful bet. He decides to decorate the apartment with all his pirates. It's perfect, I advise him to make an island, a beach, pirate attacks...

7h15. I sleep.

9h30. I emerge. The living room has been transformed into a Playmobil Fun Park. I'm pretty good at persuasion. Now, we will have to make some room for the friends.

10h30. We make room, move the coffee table, inflate some balloons whom we deck out with eye patches, mustaches and scars. We make pirate balloons! Was it me who had this genius idea?

11h I hide the treasure of the treasure hunt.

11h30. I have already forgotten where I hid the treasures. I start again, taking care to take notes.

12h I improvise a buffet around my cake. I am not able to install 18 children at the table.

12h05. They will be 17. Martin has gastro.

12h07. They will be 16. Justine is sick. No detail.

12h08. Live life in community.

12h15. They will be 15: Raoul does not feel very well. I exult!

12h16. Félix blames the blow: it's still a shame, without Martin, it won't be the same.

12h30. Lunch. Felix can no longer stand still. Another two and a half hours. I suggest quiet time. Felix looks at me askance. I propose a session of “Pirate of the Caribbean”.

13h I prepare 15 gift bags. I have no pockets. I improvise. Freezer bags will do.

15h They arrive. They are tall. They take up a lot of space. We sit down, I introduce myself. I feel invested. We're having a pirate party. Make two pirate teams.

15h05. A few children look at me askance. I don't let myself be put off. I am the adult. I decide. I know what I'm doing. Two teams, then. The “Barberousse” and the “Calico jack”. I take this opportunity to retell their history.

15h06. Anaïs, Louison and Léon are yawning. Edgar gets excited. Oscar cuts me off to clarify. Marcel is on the brink of declaring war on Félix, because they disagree on how to pronounce Jack Sparrow...

15h08. It's time to play. Two teams, then. No need to heat them. They are already hot.

15h30. We stop team games. I would like to come out of this alive. Felix is ​​not a very good loser. He is in tears. I need to find a unifying game.

15h31. I improvise a mini-boom.

15h32. I'm good at mini-boom!

15h45. They are thirsty.

15h50. I try a postman.

15h51. I discreetly ask my husband to install the candles. Marcel takes the opportunity to jump from the sofa to the off-centre coffee table. I have a flash. I forgot to buy candles.

15h52. I self-flagellate. Edgar joined Marcel on the couch. They improvise a boom. Pogo version.

15h53. I feel sorry for myself. The number of children jumping on the couch grows as fast as my panic.

15h54. My husband decides to take matters into his own hands. He sends me to the grocer to get candles. I am relieved.

16h I hesitate to return. I go home. They are calm. They listen religiously to my husband. I'm freaking out, but he threw in some awesome birthday animation that seems to have everyone captivated. They play “Arabic telephone”.

16h10. To taste. I put them on the ground and tell them to imagine that they are on a beach, on an island and that like the pirates, they are celebrating their victory, that they are distributing their treasure, that the drinks are flowing, that the music climbs to the moon… It's like it!

16h30. Treasure hunt. I tell them a story. Still. I drag a max. I tell them about the pirate called "La Buse", who hid his loot under the sand of an island and who left a coded message on his death indicating his hiding place. The magic happens.

17h Another hour.

17h01. I propose a pirate pictionary. I'm exhausted.

17h15. I invite them to sing songs. Recite poems. Tell a story…

17h30. Edgar and Marcel continue to test my couch and my patience. Felix sulks. He wants to open his presents.

17h31. Opening gifts. It's the war. They all want to be the first to give their gift. Why ? Felix opens them and frantically moves on to the next one. Why ?

17h45. I lay down my arms. I let them access the Holy Grail: Felix's room.

18h Parents arrive. I don't offer them a drink. I won't hold them back.

18h01. Some parents want details…I say they were very nice. I feel like they don't notice my grin.

18h30. Our apartment has returned. I'm exhausted. I discover Felix's room. I hesitate to despair or go to bed right away. I blacklist Edgar and Marcel. I'm exhausted. I fall asleep in the middle of confetti and wrapping paper.

D+2. I'm taking Felix to school. Why do the children look at me askance? They jump on me. They tell me it was awesome, that I'm so nice, that they would love to come home. I exult. I'm too strong for organize a birthday !