20 September 2013 Corn on the Clothesline

Because I’m crazy.

Last year, after Sam’s mystery theme birthday party, I swore up and down that NEXT year we would do something simple–like go to the park.

This year, we are going to the park (yay, follow-through!) but then Sam says, “I want us to play fun games… like tag and hide and seek.”

“OK!” I say. “We can do that.”

Then we went to a great Plants v. Zombies-themed birthday party last weekend. There were lots of fun, open-ended activities for the kids and it was super laid-back.

The next day Sam says, “What theme should my party have?”

Uh oh.

“Well, since we’re going to the park and going to play fun, easy games,” I say, “How about ‘Old-Fashioned Fun?'”

“Like what kids used to do in the olden days?”

“Yes, exactly.” No elaborately-themed kid birthday parties back in the olden days.

AC got involved in the discussion around this point. “How about sack races? Tug of war?”

“Yeah!”

OK, I think. That will be cool. We can get some burlap sacks pretty cheap. And rope. This still qualifies as simple.

Then Sam says, “Mom, what craft should we do?”

Uh oh.

“KIds in the olden days had to make their own toys,” she says. “How about a make-your-own toy craft? We can bring all my crafting supplies!”

“Or…” I am frantically thinking of a way NOT to bring all of Sam’s crafting supplies, which would probably involve renting a U-Haul. “What about corn cob dolls? Doesn’t Laura Ingalls have a doll like that in Little House in the Big Woods?”

Sam ate up the first two Little House books and now I know I’ve got her.

“Yes!!!” she says. “Let’s make corn cob dolls!”

The really ridiculous thing is that I now think, Awesome– all we need is some corn, some fabric scraps (we have lots of that) and some string–no problem. Easy, peasy Old Fashioned Fun, and all I have to do is buy some corn.

I am so deluded. My simple, easy, kids-run-around-at-the-playground party has turned into 18 ears of corn drying in my basement. We spent the afternoon shucking and removing the kernels (corn soup coming soon for dinner) and then I had to figure out how to hang all the cobs in the basement since they couldn’t remain on the clothesline.
I’m hoping they will be dry enough in two weeks. If not, I may have to help them along with the oven. If that doesn’t work maybe we will end up renting a U-Haul and bringing all of Sam’s crafting supplies to the park.

Will I jinx future party planning if I swear now that NEXT year we’ll do a party at a commercial establishment like Bounce n Play? 😉