Abby Screamed for Ice Cream

We threw Abby an ice cream social the weekend just before school was out.

Lee had found an amazing deal via Groupon for a kids party at Leatherby’s. It was a deal we couldn’t pass up. So we bought it – way back in September of last year. If you haven’t tried Groupon, you should check it out. Once you start, it’s hard not to keep checking back. You never know what they’ll offer.

For the kids party one we had a full year to cash in on it, so we decided to wait until the end of the school year when it would get hot again. We were motivated to use it for a non-birthday function. You see, Abby’s b-day is near the beginning of the school year. There’s this awkward “should I invite kids from my last classroom or the ones I barely know from this classroom?” thinking. Last year, Abby tracked down some friends from the last grade and mixed in some new ones from the current year. It was a good mix, but still kinda awkward. So for this, we thought a celebration for the end of the school year, with friends she was totally familiar with, would be more fun.

Turns out we still hit awkward though. A couple parents called and asked if it was her birthday, because of course it didn’t say so on the invitations. (The invitations were hand made by Abby and me. I could kick myself for not having taken pictures of them. They turned out real cute!) We said no, it was just a get together to celebrate the beginning of summer. So, even though we put the word out, every kid still showed up with a gift for Abby. Oh, I was embarrassed. I tried to turn them down, saying it wasn’t necessary, but one father straight-forwardly stated, “a hostess needs a gift and this one has already been bought. Take it!” Errrrgh. Awkward…

Anyhoo, beyond that, it was a success. Abby got to pick the food and the other kids helped her pick out the ice cream. A giant bowl was laid before them and Abby ate until she was sick.

Ha! I remember those days… Abby did invite some boys to her party. We told her we were proud of her for that. But, ultimately, the boys sat two empty chairs away from the girls, a buffer zone, and barely interacted with them. Sigh. Well, it was the thought that counted I suppose.

Bye, bye, school! Hello summer!!