Today's Local News: Batman Trumps Spiderman (and Superman too)

This week was Little Joe's birthday. He turned the ripe old age of five. And somehow managed to outgrow Spiderman. Now it's all about Batman. Even though Big Joe tells him that Spiderman is cooler because he has super powers while Batman is just this rich guy with a lot of toys - Batman is the superhero of the moment. I got a deal on a pair of cotton Batman and Superman pajamas a couple of months ago when this big change in his life began. Only our son refuses to wear the Superman pajamas. As he says, "Batman is better because he has a utility belt with all kinds of cool tools but Superman's belt just holds his pants up." Or 'tights' as Big Joe pointed out. Or underwear. Who was the mastermind cartoonist who decided that wearing underwear on the outside of their pants would make superheros extra macho and strong? Personally I prefer Spiderman. At least Spidey had a sense of humour.

Anyway, every other birthday of Big or Little Joe, I've spent the whole previous night, blowing up balloons, decorating the living room, baking a cake and making cards. It's been stressful but worth it. But now I'm working full-time, Big Joe's parents have been in town, and I haven't had a moment to even think about our son's birthday party. At first I was agonizing over whether to invite all 25 kids in his class, the two kids he made friends with at his summer daycare, and the ten other kids from his preschool who are no longer in his class. It's too cold to have a party in the park so where I would I put all those kids and their parents, and how could I cook food for all of them? I thought I could just invite them all and include a link to my post about all the people in our house who've been mugged and then no one would show up besides us and his best friend who lives down the block.

Finally I convinced Little Joe that a small party was best, bought his presents last weekend while he was with me and bought pre-made uncooked pizzas and a cake at Whole Foods the night before. Big Joe and his dad decorated fifteen minutes before the guests arrived while I spent the morning removing the icing roses from the cake, adding food colouring to them in a bowl and repiping the sage green icing (I was unable to make blue) with some green sugar I happened to have in the cupboard onto the now plain white cake to create batman's face. A green batman (he should be black or blue), but a batman none the less. And that was the extent of my homemade efforts.

At least I didn't stress out (much) and Little Joe had a good time. I even have Halloween figured out. This time I won't spend a week sewing instead of sleeping. Back to the store I go. Deep down inside all this buying instead of making seems very wrong. But hey, this is the price of working full-time. And my kid doesn't care. He likes store bought stuff. Well as long as he's happy, and I can add a homemade touch here and there.