According to the wisdom of industry, planning the Perfect Birthday Party for one's toddler is a piece of cake. All one really has to do is identify his/her favorite animated character/marketing tool, and then purchase the theme's coordinating set of invitations, plates, napkins, party favors, mylar balloons, and perhaps a pinata. The toddler is ecstatic to see his/her esteemed hero adorning all the accessories, the parents feel smug about making their child so happy, and the marketing executives continue to make a bundle off their cult of personality. Everybody wins.
My son is turning two next week, and he couldn't care less if his cups coordinate with his tablecloth. If I had to pick his favorite character, I might say it is his nightlight. Seriously, the kid loves talking to his nightlight, any time of day. He doesn't watch TV, and hasn't really gotten wrapped up yet in the smothering commercialism of our culture. Since, however, I am not immune to these pressures, I feel the need to designate a party theme. So the theme that my husband Peter and I are considering is Commie-Elmo: Dictatorship of the Proletariat Muppet.
The guests could all wear matching jumpsuits, and we could give away copies of the Muppet Manifesto as party propaganda, er, favors. We could have a Capitalist pinata for the little ones to take swings at. What a nice memory for the scrapbook! Of course, poor Joshua wouldn't get any presents, and none of the other moms would let their kids play with him again. Perhaps we'll have to come up with a different party theme after all. Has anyone seen Nightlight paper plates anywhere?
No comments:
Post a Comment