Birthday Party Hell

Please tell me that children's birthday parties become fun eventually. I know, a 1 year old can't really enjoy it and just likes being the center of attention. But damn. I spent the entire afternoon thinking,"Shit. When all these people leave, I'm gonna have to clean AGAIN since I cleaned before they came." And also thinking, "Thank God Joachim is not my child."But I should have been enjoying my baby, not worrying about pending disaster.

If this party was hell, Joachim was the devil. Let's go back about a year to my baby shower. My cats were traumatized by a bunch of women sitting in their living room so took refuge in the future baby's room which had been off limits to them since my sis was staying and she is highly allergic to cats. I happened to walk into the room and I found Leon cowering on the windowsill as Joachim held a bottle of beer (my sis had bought to bring home) in his hand. I caught him just as he was about to throw it at poor Leon.

So today when I realized that the bday party wouldn't be in the park since it was really wet, I just kept hearing a little voice in my head. Joachim. Joachim. He has gotten better. But he did manage to step on Suzanne's fingers as she crawled around and he did manage to eat at least 3 pieces of cake plus 2 juice boxes plus a pack of candy. And then his parents wonder why he's so wound up?

All I can say is it better get better 'cause if it doesn't, my daughter won't be having parties anymore. And I now understand why my birthday parties were always outside, at the zoo or at the bowling alley. Let someone else clean up the mess!