Birthday Party Anxiety

In my continued efforts to be crowned psycho-mom, I have been stressing over the Moo's birthday party. Yes, the party that will be held in March of next year. In my defense, things fill up REALLY quickly in this area, where there are too few venues and too many parents with too much money. Plus, I have recurring dreams of my kids on some psychiatrist's couch confessing that all of their problems started with the incredibly lame birthday party that their good for nothing mom threw them when they were five. The Bean (whose December party I booked in August -- yes, I know, pyscho) has thus far been really easy: she loves all the usual places that parties are held, so we did Tumbles gym last year for her third and will be heading to Pump it Up this year for her fourth. We don't have much family in the area, so the family parties will be quiet ones at home or in Annapolis with Mom, Dad, girls, and Grandpa S.

The Moo, however, has never liked anything ordinary. For her third birthday (we didn't do any big parties prior to age three, see note on lack of family in area above) we did a dinosaur party at our community club house which I mistakenly thought would be both easy and economical. Once you add in all the stress of planning, booze and snacks for the parents, booze and snacks for the stressed out party planner and hiring of the teenage daughter of a friend to help out, that did not end up being the case. Plus, I had to clean up afterward. No gracias! So the next year we used Curiosity Zone for an ocean explorer's party, and the year after we were off to the National Zoo, as previously chronicled in the Moo Bean Blog. So, this year for her sixth birthday she told me she wanted her party at the Baltimore Aquarium. I checked into that, which was a no go (they only do private tours, beginning at $1500 -- sorry Moo). So, next she asked for the Museum of Natural History or the Air and Space Museum, but it turns out the the Smithsonian does not do birthday parties (with the notable exception of the Zoo). So, in desperation, I turned to Google, and came up with the National Building Museum. We are doing the design a city program (for 6 to 10 year olds) and we will let you know how it goes. Wish us luck!

PS - The Spy Museum does parties but the children have be at least nine! And they are also a minimum of $1500. I am thinking by the time the girls are nine I may be so far into the abyss that this will actually look sensible to me . . .