Buzz Lightyear's Fifth Birthday Party

Do you remember your fifth birthday party? I do. It was a gorgeously sunny afternoon. All of my friends from Prep came to my house straight after school. My Dad had put the kitchen table in the backyard, and my Mum had spent all day making yummy party food. My birthday cake was chocolate with Smarties on top, embedded in the chocolate icing. There's photos of me in my school uniform, with all my friends around our old Formica table, all of us wearing those shiny party masks and grinning through mouthfuls of chocolate crackle.

It was the first birthday party that I remembered properly, and even now, nearly 30 years later, I can still remember how special I felt that day. My mum had organised party games, and there was lots of running around and general mayhem. And all because I had turned five.

We have celebrated four of Jack's birthdays, three of Phoebalina's, and one of the Mouse's. I'm not one of those mums who hires jumping castles and face-painting people for a first birthday party...let's just say I'm more of a homemade-cake-and-balloons-and-daggy-games-type parent. And let's face it - the first few birthdays are celebrated so that the family can get together to watch the birthday baby smear cake all over their mush. Any memories of the event that the child may have are purely from the numerous photos taken on the day (in preparation for embarrassment at the 21st, if we're being totally honest...)

With Jack's fifth birthday, I knew that there was about to be a shift in the birthday vibrations. Not only would he definitely remember this birthday, but it would be his first after beginning school, and therefore, his first after branching away from me in a social sense. Every other party we have held has involved the children of my friends - you know, kids from mother's group, or the kids of the colleagues I socialise with, or kids of my school friends. Not necessarily friends that my children went out and chose for themselves.

This year, being Jack's first year at school, I decided it was important for him to invite the people he played with at school. Rather than inviting the entire class, I asked Jack whom he would like to invite to his party. And he thought about it for a whole day before giving me his list. These were the children he liked, and played with, and wanted to have his birthday celebration with. (And we kept it to twelve for two reasons: one, our money tree isn't growing leaves anymore, and two, don't you think twelve five year olds in any one place is more than enough??) I didn't extend the party beyond Jack's school friends this year, simply because I wanted to focus on strengthening his new friendships with the peers he will share a classroom with for the remainder of the year.

And so, today we went to a local play centre for birthday merriment with Jack, Phoebs and Mais, and a really lovely bunch of Jack's mates, all decked out in fancy dress. Although he is not five until next week, I thought it would be better to have the party before the school holidays took hold. So last night I stayed up late icing and decorating cupcakes (spiders and butterflies made out of lollies...I drew the line at the other creepy crawlies in the cake decorating book!!) Thankfully the play centre took care of everything else, so all we had to do today was front up and par-tay!

Jack went decked out in his new Buzz Lightyear cossie; Phoebalicious was a delicious red "Twinkabelle", and the Mouse was a little pale pink ballerina, tottering around in her tiny tutu. I barely saw Jack, as he and his cronies ran and ran and ran and ran, and only stopped briefly to cram some party food in their gobs before running away again. The cupcakes were demolished (seriously, two hours to ice and decorate, and three minutes to inhale? Come on!) after a heartily bellowed rendition of 'Happy Birthday', and the careening around recommenced.

After two hours, a hot and sweaty Buzz bade his guests goodbye (actually, I was really proud of Jack's manners when the kids were leaving - is this what being five is all about??), and we packed the car with three exhausted kids and a bootload of pressies. When we arrived home and Jack was stripped down to his socks and undies, he wrapped his bony little arms around my neck and said, "Thank you for my birthday party Mumma. You're the best mum in the world, and the best cake-cooker." And then he returned to constructing his Lego police van (complete with the baddie in the back of the divvy van and the coffee cup next to the police man driving...no joke!! All that was missing were the donuts...)

As today was not Jack's actual birthday, I was able to enjoy it without becoming even remotely sentimental. However, come Thursday, which is the anniversary of my 20-hour-long labour, I know I will be a hopeless case remembering the excitement about meeting my first baby, and my fruitless efforts to get him out. And on Friday, I know I will be filled with wonder at my very grown-up son, who has amazed me every day for five years.

My fifth birthday party was wonderful because I felt loved and special. I can only hope that my son remembers his own fifth party with the same feelings. I know that the thing I will remember from Jack's fifth birthday party is his beaming little face, and the arms that hugged my neck so tightly afterwards. It was a gorgeous day for a gorgeous boy. The only downside to the party is that the cake was so popular there aren't any leftover spiders or butterflies to have with a cuppa right now...