Today, Seth turns two! More thoughts on that later in this post, but first I wanted to tell you about Seth’s Dinosaur Birthday Party. I love planning and hosting parties, and I’m all about a good theme. There were a few options, but dinosaurs were the winner this year. I somehow convinced Rob to wear matching t-shirts with me and Seth, and it was so special!
The Location
We hosted Seth’s party at Union Square Play, a play space that offers open-ended, immersive play classes for children under three in a parent friendly format. They have a variety of classes including art, yoga, music, and something called “Let’s Make a Mess” that they also offer for birthday parties. True to its name, the activities definitely made a mess, but the kids had SO much fun! The USP team set up different stations, from a ball pit, to a water table, to a painting wall, and more. Everything was non-toxic, so parents didn’t have to worry when hands inevitably made their way into mouths. After play time, we headed down to the party room for the birthday song and food.
Decorations & Favors
I started looking for dinosaur decorations and found this party set. It also included paper goods, which made my life a lot easier. There was a little bit of assembly with banners and centerpieces, but overall I loved that everything went together, and it was super cute. The only thing I added was this set of dinosaur footprint decals for the floor, and they were a hit. I got party favors from Etsy with dinosaur-shaped crayons and a little coloring page. I was able to personalize them with Seth’s name too.
Food
We kept it simple with food. The party was in the late afternoon, so it was kind of an odd time to eat. We ordered a few pizzas, and had (dinosaur) pouches for the kids. My creative project for this party was making dinosaur cupcakes. They were definitely a labor of love, and they didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted them to visually, but they tasted great!
Two Years of Parenthood
I’m fighting tears as I write this part. The past year has been really amazing…and also really hard. Seth has grown and developed so much. He walks and runs, talks up a storm, and his personality has really started to shine. He’s so smart, and he understands a lot. He loves his family and friends so strongly, and gives the best hugs and kisses. His giggles are one of the best sounds in the world. This year, he went on several flights and a few long drives. His favorite things include buses, Elmo, reading, bananas, Bones, music, and water.
Over the past six months or so, he’s started to really push the limits. He throws an impressive tantrum, and totally knows when he’s doing something he’s not supposed to. He knows that Dada works a lot and isn’t always home when he wants him to be. There have been some incredibly challenging days when I really feel out of my depth. But, then there are moments of pure love that fill my heart. There was a moment at his birthday party when he was clearly overstimulated. He sought me out and snuggled in my lap for a few minutes until he was ready to go back to his friends. To be that safe space for him is one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, and it makes the difficult parts worth it.
Later this year, we’ll move to our first house in the suburbs and start a new chapter. It will be a big change for all of us, but I’m really excited (more to come on this). I know it’s going to get harder before it gets easier (terrible 2s?), but I am so lucky and grateful to be Seth’s mom and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
