You know the song “Rainy Days and Mondays” by The Carpenters? Yea, I like it too. I mean, it isn’t true for me…I like both rainy days and Mondays, but isn’t it a great song?

I had a point. Oh yes, I remember…though rainy days and Mondays don’t get me down, torrential downpours followed by freezing temperatures on the 3rd rescheduling of my son’s 5th birthday party …THAT DOES get me down. Oh, and it was an outside party at our local park.

You get the picture?

Here, let me help you.

The park the day of Kenny's birthday.

Need to see more?

We didn't have to fight for a parking space that day.

First, I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of bad mommy reschedules her son’s 5th birthday party three times? Well, there are reasons, but let it be known that there was a family party where grandparents came over, a meal was cooked in honor of the boy, a cookie cake was eaten along with ice cream, and presents were open. That was on his actual birth date, only a few days before Christmas.

So, no lighting me afire, okay? (That note was to me, the guilt-ridden mother, as well.)

The other parties were rescheduled due to poor planning, bad weather and…I can’t remember.

At any rate, the weather was checked and the date was planned. The dinosaur invitations were written and handed-out and all was well with the world.

Then, torrential downpours, possibly hail, and freezing temperatures arrived.


The night before the birthday party I get a telephone call from my mother, “I’m assuming the birthday party is going to be cancelled tomorrow?”

“I’m sorry mother – the electricity is flicking off and on and I believe lightning just hit the house next door, can you repeat yourself?”

I assured her that if the morning was anything like the evening the party would be cancelled. The party that was to be outside – at a park – with lots and lots of places for puddles and mud.

The morning of the birthday party the sun came out in a glorious way. The entire earth was singing – I know, I heard it. The ground swelled with acceptance and my son ran in, jumped on my bed and said, “The rain has stopped and today is my BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!” Needless to say, I did NOT make any telephone calls to parents.

It didn’t matter though, because my phone started ringing. The first call was from my Mother.

“Heather, so did you call off the party?”

“Um…no.”

“Do you know it is 30 degrees outside and the party is at the park?”

“Um…yes.”

“And the ground is saturated?”

“Yea, that too.”

“Okay, we’ll be there.”

Actually there was more to that conversation, but I’ve got to hand it to my Mother – she handled it VERY WELL. Of course, what she didn’t realize is that I had a glimmering, glow-bug of a boy bouncing around the house all giddy about his birthday party and there was no WAY I was telling him it was called off.

Then other phone calls.

“Heather, this is Bailey’s mom…is Kenny still having his party?” Her voice told on her. I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to give her permission to crawl back into her warm bed, under that fluffy down comforter and sleep away the Saturday afternoon. Not gonna happen.

“Yep, at 2:30. See you there?”

“Oh. Um…yes, we’ll be there.”

The excitement was killin’ me.

And it went on for a few more phone calls. I decided to shower and get out of the house to avoid the calls. I got “tigger-boy” in the shower with his daddy and picked out some warm clothes for him to wear to the park. Then, I checked the temperature hoping for a sudden global warming effect, but no such thing occurred. In less than an hour we were on our way to get the cake and ice cream, drop off the recycling, get a gift for Kenny from the girls and set up the table at the park.

Kenny’s excitement started to lift everyone’s spirits. I watched as this 5 year old bundle of energy injected joy into our family – in little bits. He’s got a talent for it. A peacemaker with a kind heart. My heart began warming.

At the park we covered the tables with colored plastic tablecloths, taping them down with packing tape because of the wind.

We set out the cake and took pictures.

Dinosaur Cake

Made a place for people to put their gifts and put out the basket of take home bags and taped down a blow-up dinosaur we bought for a table decoration.

Blow up dinosaurs rock the gift table.

And then, we waited. And oh my goodness, it was so cold.

She's kinda cold...just a little.

No one was early. Not a one. And Kenny? He was beginning to lose his shine.

Grumpity grump grump

Just as I was about to launch into “fix it” mode a car pulls up, and then another one, and another and kids pile out running and screeching in their coats…tired of being cooped up in the house from the rainy days behind us.

Wahoooeee!  Friends arrive.

I brought several towels, anticipating the water and mud – and they were put to good use. Kenny’s back side was covered with mud and water before the cake was even cut. It didn’t slow him down anymore than it seemed to slow down the other boys. Now, the girls…they weren’t too thrilled with the mess-making reverie.

Yea, he got a little dirty.

Finally we corraled them all in to the table and sang Happy Birthday while Jeff tried over and over to light the single candle (we had already determined multiple candles would never work). And? The candle never stayed lit long enough for Kenny to blow it out.

That candle seriously wasn't gonna light.

Though he did try – as did another of his friends that actually blew his candle out FOR him at Kenny’s party last year.

Nope, you can't blow it out this year...

You’d think that might have disturbed Kenny, but it didn’t. He bounced back with a grin and said, “I want chocolate with lots of icing!” And he got it. And even though the temperature was right above freezing at this point, all the kids asked for ice cream too.

After cake there were presents and cards and then, as fast as they ran to the table, they were off again. Consuming cold air into their lungs by the gallons and making the best of the day.

This birthday party – this wreck of a party? I didn’t pull it off. He did.

Laughter - birthdays should be full of it.

He saw the warmth of the sun shining out from that puddle.

The sun came out and dried up the landy-landy...

And jumped in with both feet.