Friday Night PARTY!!!!

This morning I was changing diapers in Micah’s room, when four-year-old Mara walks in with PJs and bedhead, announcing, “Okay! So this is the plan! Tonight, after dinner, we’re going to have a party! First, we’re going to have ice cream! Thennn we’re going watch one Curious George. And after that, we’re going to blow up long balloons and make flowers and swords!”

All day long I heard about the party. In the morning I took Micah to his doctor’s appointment, and while Daniel watched the girls, Mara filled him in on her party plans. “I’ve planned it all myself!” she announced.

And she certainly had.

Naively I thought she might forget. (Naively.)

Mara almost didn’t finish her dinner, she was so excited about the party. But when she announced that it was almost time for ice cream, I knew this was my chance.

“Well, there won’t be any ice cream for anyone who doesn’t eat their dinner,” I informed her.

She had me.

I had unwittingly signed on to the party.

She inhaled the rest of her dinner, then declared, “It’s time to start the party!”

Daniel works till 11 p.m. on Fridays. So really, what better way to spend Friday evening with preschoolers, than at a party they’ve planned for themselves?!

We had ice cream. I forgot that I was trying to take Micah off dairy. (Oops.)

And they begged for more, but they had finished it.

While they watched Curious George, I made Carissa’s bottle, changed her and put her down for the night.

And just as their show ended, I walked up the basement stairs with my balloon art box. “Nowwwww it’s time for ballloooooons!” Mara shouted. “And after this, we’re going to bed,” she added. (I approve of this four-year-old’s plan.)

We made swords for Micah and me and a flower for Mara, the princess. With our balloon swords, Micah and I defended Princess Mara, at her request, from all the “bad guys” throughout our house, which she pointed out to us as she ran, hugging her princess balloon flower.

At last I felt pretty sure that the bad guys had all surrendered (or maybe I was just getting tired of fighting them), so I told the kids it really was time for bed.

Mara wanted all of us to hang our special balloons on the blackboard easel, and then she put her arm around Micah’s shoulders and stood gazing nostalgically at the blackboard. “It really was such a great party!”

We went upstairs. They changed into PJs, and they each picked a book. Mara picked A Pocket for Corduroy. Micah: Look and Listen and Big Red Barn (he never picks just one and his books are so short, so I usually read more than one).

We read and prayed and sang “Jesus Loves Me” and “How Great Thou Art” (verse 2, which Micah calls “brook”).

I covered Micah with his blankets and then went to Mara’s room to tuck her in.

And as I came down the stairs, I found myself a little sad that the party was already over.