Getting Older

Remember childhood birthday parties? The thrill of the invitation? The excitement of choosing a theme?
I know that when I was invited to a birthday, it was triumphant. I nagged my mother daily for the countdown. What to wear. Who would be there. Where it would be. What present I could pick out.
When my birthday came around, it was at least a week-long celebration. There was the family party, the friends party, the extended family party. There were even occasionally drop-ins from my parents' friends who brought gifts. It was as though I were royalty.
Then, it wasn't. Then it was teen parties, accompanied with boy angst and girl rivalry. Then it was waiting to turn 21. Then, it was denying turning 30. Now, of course, 40 is out there like a planet-ending comet in a disaster movie.
But, for my boys, birthdays are still a sugar-consuming wild man gift free for all. We have one today to attend, and baby, that party is bribery gold. We are NOT going to the party until your room is clean. We are NOT going to that party unless you stop whining. We are NOT going to that party unless it at the benevolence and gracious whim of your mother.
E has a birthday on the horizon. We sent out invitations today. I fiddled with the computer to align all of the text on the preprinted invitation lines. Then, I chucked it. While the outside of the invite will probably be cherished for its high art value (all the Pokemon on one little mini-poster!!!), moms will jot down time and date and inevitably fail to RSVP (as I always do). E, meanwhile, will be at home, studying the loot bags as though they were archaeological treasure. He will be poring over plates, napkins, and all other (expensive) paper goods related to his fest. We had to (at his insistence) bypass the FREE partyware offered by the NOTFREE partyplace in order to have the coolest (by whose definition? Pokemon partyware was discontinued, according to the partyware store...my son is already as unhip as I) theme partyware. I hate that there even is partyware....isn't partyware the same ware that we use to eat with on nonparty occasions? And yet, there is that moment. The moment when we open the box from the online partyware store (you would think that since it was discontinued, Pokemon partyware would be cheap where you could get it. But no.) and my baby, my turning six baby says in a hushed voice. Wow. This is going to be the coolest birthday ever.
I hope so. I hope so, because I am lucky enough to pay for branded partyware and rent out the party place, and personalize loot bags, and just be all about party. There aren't many days when I can still be the coolest mom ever. If this is all it takes, well then, let them eat cake.