Guest Blogger, An Island Life: Baby’s First Birthday Party 01/24/2012

In Hawaii, a baby’s first birthday is a pretty big deal. I’m not sure how the tradition started but most families will celebrate their child’s first birthday by hosting a huge luau and invite pretty much every single person they know – family, friends, co-workers, long lost cousins.

The cost of throwing this event can get expensive so before we had kids my husband and I swore that we would not succumb to the pressures of having a big party. After all, not only will the child not remember it but he or she will probably sleep through the entire thing.

Then Kacie was born and everything changed. One look into her eyes and I knew I would want to share this bundle of joy with the world. After all, she was our first born.  So only three days after coming home from the hospital I was on the phone trying to find a place that could accommodate 200 of our closest friends. And since I’m not really an outdoor kind of gal, instead of the beach or an outdoor recreation center I opted for a more comfortable, air-conditioned environment . . . like a ballroom.

The decorations, food, favors, centerpieces, goody bags, musical entertainment, bounce house, magic show, clown show, ice cream bar . . . the to-do list went on and on.

It took one year of planning and it was over in an instant.

I remember getting up in the morning and cooking breakfast for everyone, including the in-laws. I remember trying to give Kacie a bath against her wishes. I remember my husband driving me crazy because he couldn’t decide which shirt to wear (Seriously? That was the only decision he had to make in this whole process). Everything else is pretty much a blur but I do remember saying that I would never do it again.

Then Kiana was born and of course she had to have a big party for her, too. I didn’t want her to grow up and wonder why her older sister had such a big celebration and she had a . . . . I already get enough guilt trips from my younger sister who complains that my parents have 10 albums filled with my baby pictures and only one album for her . . . with me being in almost half of her pictures. So I spent another year planning another birthday party.

Then Kaila was born and, well, you can guess what happened.

Looking back, I don’t have any regrets about hosting these events. As predicted, the girls do not have a single recollection about their parties but they constantly watch the videotapes of all their loved ones coming together to celebrate their special milestone.  However, these days birthdays are spent at Chuck E Cheese, the beach, or Grandma’s house. In fact, when Kiana turned 6 a few days ago all she wanted was to go to a local Japanese restaurant for dinner because they stick a little umbrella in the kids meals.

Big or small, every birthday is cherished when we spend it with family and friends.

Kailani is an island Mom-blogger and mom to 3 young girls. You can check out her blog at http://islandlife808.com.

Playground Chatter: Do You Have Any New Year Resolutions? 01/12/2012

It’s a New Year and time for reflecting. We recently asked our fans if they have any resolutions for 2012, for themselves or their little ones. Read all about them here and share your thoughts!

Samantha said, “Just to continue to be healthy and grow.”

Krysten noted, “Just keep with the healthy eating and making him a happy toddler.”

Callie shared, “Continue to love each other and spend as much time together!”

Amanda posted, “[take] at least one picture of the 3 of us a week.”

Charlene said, “My son will be 2 in March and got him a Cars Potty for his potty training. I have the resolution that he will be potty trained here shortly.”

Stephanie shared, “Getting ready and motivated to do homeschool preschool. My oldest isn’t even 3 yet and can count to ten, knows her alphabet, and her colors. At this rate with a real focus on teaching her, i bet she’ll be reading by this time next year!”

LucasitosMommy tweeted, “@babyeinstein To put little man in preschool #resolutions”

Diana noted, “My son turned 5… I want to enjoy the out doors with him as much as we can!”

Kassey posted, “My resolution is to get my almost 10 month old to nap without me right next to her. My new years wish, for her to sleep thru the night by the time she is 18 months old. Please baby girl! Please!”

Veronica said, “Besides just staying healthy. I can’t wait to see her crawling, walking, splashing in the pool, and then hearing her first words. This is going to be a GREAT year!!”

Tiffani resolves “To continue speaking to her in both English and Spanish so she continues to be bi-lingual ”

Courtneyking85 tweeted, “@babyeinstein start potty training in 2012.”

Jessica shared, “make us as happy and as healthy as can be while learning all the new fun things in growing big and strong!”

What do you think? Do you have any resolutions this year? If so, comment below and we wish you nothing but the best in 2012!