Party Time .... Hoooraaayyyy!
Richard Bell Dads Column – Issue 15
The end of October is the first marker in the marathon that is the run up to Christmas. The party season officially starts with a plastic pumpkin sweet ‘mountain’ and ends in a sticky heap of ransacked selection boxes shortly before New Year.
Expectations are high too. My little girl has party dresses (some with fairy wings and a wand, no less) a million hair bobbles, face glitter and relishes every invitation left in her tray at nursery as much as we do!
Parties are more meticulously organised for the wee ones than they are for us adults lucky enough to be invited to one (no sour grapes there!)
The last party I went to with my daughter moved from play to food, to play again with Swiss watch precision! And how great is it to see our children making friends and raising the roof, as they move from the slide and ball pool to a juice ‘pit stop’ to Bob the Builder and Postman Pat ‘fifty pence devouring machines!’
First in the diary, Halloween. Ghosties, Beasties and Slimy Crawly Creepies…
Glow in the dark and a pound a bag!
Is it just me or has All Hallows Eve been hijacked by our transatlantic cousins and reduced to little more than an excuse for a sugar overload? (I speak of 'Trick or Treat').
The once meek and mild skeletons and witch masks are replaced by truly hideous creations in latex.
The little ones, however, are thankfully spared face-melting fear with plastic pumpkins (hollow for trick or treat, treats) miniature witch or wizard outfits, animal face painting kits and an assortment of torches that cast Disney-esque creepy shapes when shone at the wall.
My daughter loved the witch and the cat on the broomstick torch as much as we loved the way she asked if: “Grandma coming today?” (Just a happy anecdotal coincidence, Mum!)
This newfound fervour for Halloween with little parties and grotesque home decoration is becoming more and more popular. The shops aren't slow to react to this trend either. Halloween food, bunting and accessories for celebrating all things horrible (Does this include emptying a full potty?) had me decorating the lounge with spooks, bats and cobwebs galore.
This prompted my daughter, the ‘wicked witch of the feast’, and friends to chase me round a table full of creepy snacks whilst trying to turn me into a ‘Hotpatus’ (Octopus)!
Next in the diary, Bonfire Night.
The chill November night air was soothed by a blazing pyramid of old furniture with a ‘Spud’ effigy atop roaring and crackling, trying desperately to compete with the whistles and bangs high above the apple cheek crowd.
The sky, lit up with dazzling multi coloured cascades and swirling orange sparkler trails, had my daughter screaming with delight then burying her head in my coat whilst inquiring: “Where Tinkerbell, Daddy?”
Her beaming treacle toffee grin getting wider and wider after every rocket burst to screams of “Wee, Bang… Don't like it!”
I thought she was talking about the brilliant colours decorating the sky but instead she had tried a bit of Parkin, thrust it in my hand and finished the sentence with “minging” for good measure.
Finally, the piece de resistance, Christmas.
As belts are loosened a notch or three in gluttonous levity, the party machine rolls on relentlessly with many presents and many more Christmas treats, even a pie or two for Santa.
And how messy does everything get? My daughter looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, instead it melts all over her party clothes forcing photographs to be taken before the food is served to guarantee suitability for a frame on the mantelpiece.
I really love this time of year.
This is the time when our cherubs get to dress up and run around with giddy abandon, make new friends and delight us all with their innocent anticipation. We tell them magical stories that enthralled us as children and watch their saucer eyes take it all in and light up brighter than any fireworks display or festive light show.
All this wonder and excitement is definitely vicarious as I’m sure every parent will agree, you cannot put a price on the look on their little faces when the paper is frantically shredded and Santa has rewarded the best behaved children with exactly what they wished for.
And the best part, we get to do it all again next year. Perfect!
