Balloons

I haven’t had a birthday party since I was seven years old. That was my biggest birthday party and I remember it quite well. My mum had bought me some new clothes and I wore them on the day. They were a tartan pair of pants with a matching vest, and it came with a yellow long sleeved shirt too. Unfortunately it was hot so some time during the day I had to change out of the long shirt.

Near our house we have a toy library, connected to the normal local library. The toy library has a lot of different kinds of toys which you can borrow, and then return after two weeks – in their original condition, of course. When my brother and I got too old for these toys, they included a fee to join the toy library. It was free when we borrowed the toys; all you had to do was fill out a form and use your library card.

Some of these toys were small, like really small doll houses or puzzles and things. Some were freakin’ huge. When I say huge, I mean size-of-your-living-room huge. Sometimes we had a hard time fitting the pieces into the car. Once we borrowed a rocket/spaceship, that only required a bit of assembly, but it was still fun to play in! Another time we got a castle.

On my seventh birthday, we had borrowed these toys for the occasion and it was heaps of fun. Free, too – unlike people who go and pay hundreds to hire a clown or a jumping castle. :D I think we had a friend who dressed up as a clown, though I don’t quite remember. :S

Since then, I haven’t celebrated my birthday with a party. My mum invited over fifty people that day, and our house was so packed. To celebrate my birthday! I felt pretty special, of course. These days that doesn’t happen, no one visits our house very much since we don’t like visitors, and I don’t go and hire out a place and pay to have a party.

Things have changed. Celebrations aren’t ‘parties’ anymore. You invite people out but you don’t even pay for their meals or their movie tickets. :( In high school when my friend celebrated her sixteenth birthday, she paid for all our movie tickets and the food we bought at the theatre. People are so cheap these days, aren’t they…?

They want people to come celebrate their birthdays but aren’t even keen on paying for everyone. Just… collect everyone’s money, I guess.

Maybe it’s because you get older and I suppose it’s kind of a given; it’s not an official party. It’s just like a celebration.

My parents once paid for me to have a birthday party at a place called Hide and Seek, which was just this massive kids’ playground with ball pits, obstacles, tunnels – it was so fun, and back in… oh, kindergarten… it was the place to have your party. I sort of miss being a kid. I remember my best friend (a guy at the time, funnily enough his name was James, too) dipping his chicken nuggets into Coca Cola… that was the life and no one cared.

Yesterday at work we had a little party. It was the last day of work for the year and there was a presentation for the kids who had done well or excelled in some way with their work. I chose to take photos, because I like any good opportunity to take one. /bounce As my workmates and I were setting up the food, we couldn’t help but eat some of the chips and lollies.

Maybe it’s not my party, and I don’t feel special, and I’m not having fun at my own party, but it’s really nice to help, be a part of the preparation, and see it from the outside. :)

Comments on this post

WHAT KIND OF TOY IS THE SIZE OF YOUR LIVING ROOM?
was it a
TOY REPLICA OF YOUR LIVING ROOM? 33333
or a JOMPING CASTLE /frog

Yeah, I hate birthday parties 3:
There’s too many people, and if they’re all focused on you it’s extremely awkward especially if the connection between other people is thin. D:

I like setting up for parties though, too. =3
Especially inflating balloons; once I took some home from my little cousin’s birthday, and Keeks would bat them around with her paws until they popped /love

(Y)

Haha it was like a huge castle with low walls, and it set up a little like a maze with sections for rooms. A bit like a little house. It was just an outline though, so only the walls, no fancy roof or anything. But it was huge!

The rocket was awesome, you could step into a door in the side and then peep out some windows, and there was a shiny mirror-surface on the ceiling of the rocket. It was mad. /bounce

Oh I forgot to mention that. I don’t like birthday parties anymore now and prefer close-knit small groups now that I’m older. I’d rather celebrate with a few close friends than have a huge party. :3

I actually always have a birthday party. They’re not kiddy parties anymore, of course (though my friend just celebrated his 16th birthday in Mcdonalds playing party games and giving away lootbags. It was never a waste of money since my twin brother and I would always have just one party for the two of us anyway. The 7th is always a big party, though I’m not sure why.

A lot of my friends don’t have parties anymore though. Sometimes we just go to the mall to celebrate, but that’s kinda it.

I do miss being a kid sometimes. Life was simpler then, and you can do pretty much anything you want when you’re a kid.

Ah yes, I miss the days when a birthday party meant free food and drinks. That still happens at my house, but i guess i can’t afford to take eeeveryone out for dinner. That said, people pay for 21st birthday parties…

Woah that toy libary sounds absolutly AMAZING! I still get excited by toys. There’s this huge toy store on Oxford Street and I get so excited when I go there. Have you ever watched Home and Away? The one where the boy goes to New York? I just love the toy shop in that film.
I agree with what you said. The governement should defo look at different ways at tackling the issue. None of them are willing to take cuts at their own budgets. Theyre still allowed to buy three houses and not pay any tax. If those things were changed and MPs were treated like the people they actually are rather then kings God Himself gave power too then the world would be a different place.
I celebrate all my birthday and had a huge party (in my house) for my 16th. But it’s true noone pays for everyones food when you go out. I guess it’s just too expensive. Instead me and my friends treat the birthday girl/boy and on our birthdays we get treated too. So when it’s your birthday people pay for you. More special that way I think.

I haven’t had a birthday party since I was about 13. I can ask friends to come out for meals or go to a bar or something instead.

When I go for friends birthday I actually buy them drinks or pay for their food. I’ve never really thought about paying for everyone. People just pay for themselves these days. It’s almost seen as an excuse to get together because everyone has such busy lives these days and don’t really have to get hang out as often as before. So I guess we use birthdays as a date to all get together.

I don’t really mind the snow but no internet for 3 days straight is pretty bad. I went out to play in the snow the first day but really needed the net for the other two. Luckily transport weren’t so bad so I was still able to go out. Imagine been stuck inside with no internet for 3 whole days.

It’s me! I’m kinda sorta back!!
Birthday parties… ehh… I definitely agree with a lot of what you said. I don’t really have birthday “parties” either anymore, usually just meet friends out for dinner and drinks to “celebrate” (as you said). A couple weeks ago was my boyfriend’s birthday, I did throw him a party at our house and guess what?! I PAID FOR THE PARTY! So yay me :D
I celebrated my birthday in June with a week-long vacation to Disneyworld with the boyfriend. THAT was a fun time!!

I think that as you grow up you don’t get as much – the parties slow down, the presents slow down, etc. I don’t know. o.o That’s just how it seems. It is kind of like the Tooth Fairy – Mary and Christopher are getting $2-5 per tooth, whereas the highest I have ever received from the “Tooth Fairy” is one buck.

I like letting out the little kid in me every once in a while. ^^

If my laptop wasn’t all gfhjdfjkl I would probably own more… Mostly because I would be able to work on them more often? I don’t need that many, though. I can’t exactly do the Enthusiast stuff for fanlistings, and i would rather join them than manage them o.o

I renewed 6birds.net already! D; It’s not yet due until 2012. I’m not renewing Rubyszoo.info nor lovesmoothies.info. School is starting soon, and I just … I really don’t want to do anything with the websites like I did over the summer.

I’ll shoot you an e-mail when I get the chance. Er… When I can gather all the pictures. :)

I know, there was a long time between 8 years old and 14 years old when I didn’t host a single party, birthday or otherwise. I don’t think it’s because I’ve gotten “cheaper” necessarily, but I’ve just not got the time to be excited and to plan for it. It’s been the same with Christmas these past few years. We haven’t a Christmas in 4 years due to just over-whelming work pressure on everyone in my family and this first year we’ve had to prepare for Christmas has been especially draining. It’s not the money I mind, just my time. It’s all worth it in the end, I think. Celebrations are just lovely things.

A toy library? I’ve never had one in my area, possibly because I’m pretty sure most towns/cities would feel it were open to abuse. It’s a great idea though, especially since my parents never invested all that much in toys. It’s true children grow out of toys really quickly.

I’ve never heard of a toy library… but it sounds awesome! I would have loved to have something like that! Though, I’ve always been a pretty big nerd, loving to read and whatnot, so I was pretty much content to settle down with a book.

I remember having a birthday party where we all went to the movies and saw a new Scooby-Doo movie. I remember my mom paying and everything. I guess as you grow older, you just have to take on more responsibility, including financially. Plus, buying 10 people tickets to a movie can be expensive.

We would always do weird stuff like dipping our nugget in Cola. Maybe not specifically that, but we’d dare each other to make some disgusting concoction of food and eat it. Haha, good times.

I don’t ever recall having a birthday party when I was young. Who knows? Maybe I’ll remember after I post this comment. Haha. :D I notice the trend. Newborn to 11-years old: birthday party with singing involved + presents; 12 to 20-years-old: birthday party with somewhat singing involved + presents; 21 and older: birthday party with somewhat singing involved + presents + adult theme; /hehe It gets hot here in Hawaii year-round. It gets cold somewhat here in Hawaii too. It depends on the weather condition. I don’t like to wear long sleeve shirt and long pants. I get uncomfortable. I like wearing shorts and t-shirt. That’s good enough for me.

Wow. That’s new. I’ve never heard of a toy library where you can borrow and return after two weeks. I don’t think the toy library would get it back in it’s original condition. You know how rough people can get. I didn’t know you can use your library card. Okay.

It’s good thing we don’t have something like that here. I don’t drive, so I don’t know how I’d take it to and from home if the pieces were really huge. I don’t think I want to carry it on the bus. I’m glad to hear you had fun in the rocket/spaceship. You must of been the Queen or Princess of that castle. Haha. ;)

Nowdays, people would pay hundreds to hire a clown or a jumping castle. I don’t like clowns. There too creepy for me. My nephew Micah had a magician and comedian Augie T. He happens to know my brother’s girlfriend’s dad. Augie T takes his car to my brother’s girlfriend’s dad’s auto body shop that he owns. My other nephew Noah had a bouncer. It almost looks like it came out from Super Mario Bros. Haha. :P

Same here. After a certain age, the birthday parties stop. All you get is a present or ‘Happy Birthday’ phone call. My mom and friend Eric takes me out to dinner. Anywhere I want to go. I’d do the same for my mom and friend Eric. Of course, I’d buy them a present too.

Five years ago, two of my friends I used to work with threw a hotel party. They wanted to get drunk I guess. That’s how they celebrity their birthday. I guess it depends what people want. A birthday party, nice dinner, etc. I agree. People are so cheap these days. /argh

In Japanese tradition, I think they do a yakuodshi when you turn 40 and 60. That’s the only birthday party you get when your older. There’s people out there who wants their family to celebrity their birthday. I guess it’s a milestone for them. Some people can be stingy. “Oh, there just turning so and so.”

My nephew Noah just had a birthday party at Rascals. It has all kinds of arcade games, miniture golf, and laser tag. It was alright I guess. I’m glad to hear you had fun at Hide and Seek. Yeah, I know what your saying. Sometimes I miss being a kid. You remember those great memories.

I agree with you about the people are so cheap.
I never really had any birthday party…
Well once when I was 8 I think? My mom had a big birthday party but It was together with my little sister’s 1 year party. I think they were all there for my sister and not me. The only person that gave me presents was my nina. She bought me a bop it. Lol. I never had a good birthday after that. Once 3 times in a row I had bad birthdays. Always arguments and all. People yelling at me and stuff. My birthday was pretty me hell.

Anyways, I loved that you have a toy library. That’s cool. I wish we had them here. =)

I’ve never heard or been to a toy library before! If they had one over here, I’ll be the happiest kid in town, for sure! The last proper party that I had was when I was 10. Since I share my birthdays with my dad (my dad was born on April 5th too!), birthday parties has always been a family affair. So I don’t feel special somehow.

Parties are fun when you share it with people that you like and knows how to have fun like friends, for example. When I turned 19 this year they threw me in the swimming pool, haha. And they bought me a cake and it turned out to be a cake fight, lol. It sounds messy but it’s so much fun :P

And I’m not too big on presents too. I mean, I don’t mind getting presents but I don’t mind if they don’t give me presents too. I enjoy being around my loved ones so that’s enough for me :) As long as they’re there and they give me a party worth remembering, that’s enough :)

The last ‘party’ I had was this year, my 18th. It was rather fun but I got way too drunk, then I went clubbing. It was great.

But when you’re little it’s more exciting and you get more presents. I love little kids parties more than older peoples.

I miss those days.

I know, I’ve done most of what I can do to my site so far but hopefully on Friday I will be getting Photoshop from my friend. So then I can do some practicing and make some stuff for my site. I am really going to need loads of tutorials. :) I’m keeping the layout the same because I like it and I haven’t found a purple one I like. I really wish I could pay someone to make me one but I don’t have a credit card or paypal. So I have no other way to pay for one.

Take as long as you need to reply to my e-mail. I don’t mind. Just do it when you have some free time. :) When you get everything ready I am going to try use WP as they have loads of add-ons and I think some of the (free) layouts for them look better. :)

HELLO!

Hahaha your seven year-old outfit sounds very cute indeed XD. And that sounds like a HUGE birthday party :O. I haven’t had a birthday party since I was…either 2 or 3. I was a pretty shy kid, so I guess it’s a good thing. I was always awkward around people :P.

Whoa! A library dedicated to Toys! At my local library, you can borrow toys, but we never had a separate place dedicated to them! Hahahaha. We never borrowed the toys though :P. YOUR toy library, however, sound quite epic. Hahaha. Too bad they started charging money to participate. Bloody stingy councils /angry.

LOL, it was probably HEAPS cheaper to borrow some of those toys, rather than hire jumping castles XD. There were no little children my age at my birthday parties, and I don’t think I was old enough to play on one, so no jumping castle for me. Haha. But I do remember one of my primary school friends having one! :D.

Hmm…we should probably celebrate our 21st birthday XD. Apparently it’s important *nods* :P.

Things HAVE changed. Now it’s kinda awkward, cos sometimes you may have to pay at someone’s birthday celebration, but othertimes you don’t? I’m not even sure of the ettiquette anymore =S. Do we pay for everyone, or not, if it’s our birthday? Argh. So confusing. I’d want to pay, but I can’t afford it, and also, apparently it’s a Chinese thing where you can’t pay for people older than you because they have to pay for you? Like, WHAT?! Sounds a little weird to me D:.

One of my uni friends paid for her birthday dinner. Like, paid for everyone :P. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go :(.

Ohhh…work party. I can’t wait until I work, so I can have a work party! :P I am so lame ==.

I feel like I was spoiled on that day… oh well. But you know that now I’d rather have a small gathering than a huge party. :)

Oh well, they do need to check the toys and I suppose they can be easily broken or ruined, so perhaps that is why they charged a fee. It’s a pretty big thing to loan something like toys, especially ones that can be huge.

I remember going a primary school friend’s party; they had a jumping castle too! :D

Aww that’s so nice! I think we’re all a little too stingy to pay for other people now – after all, some of us live on our own, some of us earn our own money and so on. :P

The last party I had, my friends surprised me with one. I couldn’t believe they kept it a secret, even my family knew. Imagine if we had the rides at Maccas when we were kids like they have now. I am so jealous of that. So jealous, just like the presents I bought my neices and nephews for Christmas. I got my neice a Zhu zu. It’s a Guinea pig and it moves and makes noises just like a real guinea pig. You press its nose … So freakin cute, that I went and bought myself one :D Mine is green and white and goes by the name of Shamrock.

OH wow that sounds like such a nice library -toy library!! that’s great…
we don’t have anything like that.

Yeah lol I admit, even on my birthdays I expect people to pay FOR ME!!
AHHAHAHAH Isn’t that how it is nowadays…

But anyway, I’m throwing a dinner party so I guess that’s what adults do now..

My last birthday party was when I was 21 😳 Since then whenever it’s been my birthday or my friends we tend to meet up for a meal and go out for some drinks. Though when my sister celebrated her 30th b’day in a pub she did pay for all it. It was quite nice to go to a birthday party after ages. I might do the same for mine. I do remember some of the parties I had and went to when I was younger though. I remember having a Punch and Judy show at my party which imo was the best!

We’ve just had a work Christmas party and had to pay ourselves for that. But the venue and food were so nice that I didn’t mind. Tbh I think it is true that no one pays for anyone else any more.

A toy library how cool! We never had anything like that when I was young but it sounds like such a good idea. :) Can I also just say I love your smilies! /bounce

Oh, that’s not embarrassing. :D I think most people would want to celebrate their birthdays with a big party at certain ages. I think as I’ve grown up I do prefer smaller groups and just having a few friends, rather than a big party. I’m like that. :)

I didn’t make the smilies! I got them from pishie.net over two years ago, I don’t know the original creator and that website is now defunct. :(

I’ve never been big on birthdays. Most twins I meet feel that way. It’s kind of hard to make a big deal out of a “special day” when you have to share it with some one your whole life. My mom loves to plan parties, though, so we’ve always had crazy over the top ones. I think the best we had was when we were in fifth grade and we had an ice skating party (my birthday is in January), we rented the whole rink and both my and my twin sister’s whole classes plus some family friends came and we spent hours skating and enjoying the seemingly unlimited supply of hot chocolate and s’mores XD

I didn’t even know that such places existed, borrowing toys and all. That would’ve made my life as a kid since we didn’t have much money growing up.

As kids parties are ways to have the purest of fun with friends and food and gifts, but as we get older they become status/social symbols. It sucks that it has to be that way, but no way around it. Unless you have a party with close friends that is. 👏

I don’t know what year my last proper party was-maybe when I turned ten and I had ten of my friends in a room at the sports centre near here for a trampolining party. That was amazing, the trampoline was so huge we had to use ladders to get onto it and we learned loads of tricks. :D Since then I’ve had sleepovers, or taken a couple of friends to the cinema; this year I took 5 of my friends to Pizza Hut(and yes, I paid for two large pizzas and drinks with unlimited refills, and desserts. Though my friends surprised me with a cake-they got the waiter to put candles in it and sing happy birthday to me in front of the whole place. XD Also, I wasn’t charged for the desserts. I’d usually have pointed it out, but…well, it was my birthday.) I could only afford that because I had a coupon that meant one pizza was free, but I wouldn’t have made anyone pay for themselves, just gone somewhere cheaper. I might take a couple of friends to China Buffet King next year, for example. xD

There is/was a toy library near here…I’m not sure where it is, I think it’s in a town about 20 miles away. I never went there or personally borrowed anything, but the after-school/holiday club I went to borrowed things sometimes. My favourite was…I can’t even describe it, but it was a sort of big, wide plastic cone that you could sit in, and you could hold onto the sides and spin it while you were inside it. I know that description probably made no sense to anyone. :’)

I did listen to Atreyu a while ago(at your recommendation, actually), and I liked them-especially the two songs you mentioned, actually. I think their music was fine live, but none of the crowd were all that interested: the bad thing about being a first support act, nobody’s there to see you in particular, whereas you quite often get people who just go to gigs to see the second support(quite a lot of people left after Bring Me :o). When nobody around you is interested in the band on the stage the atmosphere is a bit crap, so the band don’t seem so good. I’m sure they’re much better at their own shows.

You should listen to Bring Me The Horizon-if you’re like me and hate them you’ve lost nothing, and if you don’t hate them you’ll love them. There’s no in between. :L My problem is that all they do is scream over a mash of guitar, the screaming is the only focus. I don’t mind screaming-Funeral For A Friend do it-but I hate it when there’s not a single word that’s actually sung, and there’s not an interesting guitar solo or anything to relieve the wall of noise. Even when Oli Sykes was talking to the crowd, that was screamed. :/

You should listen to Scream Aim Fire too! :D A lot of people say it’s bad, but that’s only really meant relatively-it’s not great by bullet’s standards, but amazing in general. I mean, Say Goodnight comes from that, and it’s beautiful.

Apologies for the vast length of this comment. :’)

The last birthday “party” I had was…when I turned 13. I think. We always have a “party” with family, but I haven’t invited friends for anything in so long. Our game nights are kind of like a party, but we always end up going out and buying snacks/food before we start.

A toy library sounds like such a great idea. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. It makes sense to have something like that though because within a few months kids are usually bored of their “new fun” toys. If we had something like that around here I could finally get rid of all my stuffed animals & barbies. lol.

Doing parties for kids or little events are so much fun. And being able to snack on food makes it even better, you have test it out to make sure it’s safe for the kids! :p

I always wanted a birthday party as a child, but my birthday was always in the middle of the school summer holidays, so everyone was always on holiday. I hated it. I guess I had mini-parties for my 21st and 25th and I’m totally planning on… something for my 30th next year but I’m not quite sure what. I do want a proper party for sure!

I haven’t had a party in ages either for my birthday. I had a birthday dinner this year, but I did ask my friends to just pay for their own meal instead of getting me anything. My friends and I always do that, though we usually get eachother stuff too anyways. Because we’re at the age now where our parents usually won’t pay for it, and with everyone saving up for school, etc.. we can’t afford to buy everyone else’s food as well. No one minds though. I understand because things are REALLY expensive now a days, where as everything was cheaper before. Just a movie ticket is around $11+, so to take 5 people out to the movies, you’re looking at $55, plus food, drinks, etc.. and it would be expensive just for one night. I barely buy myself food at the movies because of the prices.

I have written a few different versions of it, but it was still always good to get it out. I didn’t have anger about it per say, but it’s just a sucky situation. I’m done though, if he texts me asking to hang out I’m not even going to reply. I’m not angry at him, but I’m not going to sit there & take his stupid shit, of him putting me down & only insulting me after he tells me he doesn’t want me in his life, etc. It’s his own loss. I painted my nails accordingly- the colour is titled ‘his loss’.

It was really sweet of them <3 Especially Sally, I just love her. It's nice to feel loved sometimes.

Haha, I don't do them too often. I think I've done a total of three: That one, one about family problems & then another one about David, just before we broke up. I like them just because then I know if my family ever does see my blog, they won't see those ones (especially for the one about them). The joint blog is awesome. I hadn't posted in forever, so I figured I should. My love life is basically on a stop right now though, haha. So I don't have much to post about, other than any past stories and such.

You should try the front one if you want :) I really liked mine, even though I wasn't sure at first. Since I have a friend who does hair, it's not too hard for me to just ask her how to be able to cut it myself, but I'm still afraid I'd mess up. I could easily just get her to trim it every once in awhile though, haha. They last a few weeks anyways, depending on how fast your hair grows. I'll be seeing her on Saturday hopefully, so maybe I'll see about getting it done then :)

Ahhh I haven’t had a birthday party… since… ever! I don’t like birthdays besides the presents I hate celebrating the fact that I’m getting older and not super sucessfull ( I swear I’ve felt that way since I was 10) I usually go out for dinner with my friends…

XXASAB

I don’t like hosting parties too much, either. If I did, I’d pay for everything, but having birthday parties just always made me so depressed. A lot of my friends pay for the entire meal and all that, but I have heard of parties where people had to dress accordingly and bring money. Some of those parties with “the list” at the entrance, I guess. Little parties are more fun :)
I think that Hide and Seek here is Chuck-E-Cheese. I had my 3rd birthday party there because I loved that place, but they brought out the robots of mice and ducks and whatever those things were, and I was extremely terrified XD You could hear them blink! haha.
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It did snow like two nights ago. Not the three feet we got last year, but it at least we got white lol.

Wow that toy library sounds interesting!!! There is not nothing like that in Columbus, GA :( . I agree with you that things have changed parties are more like a celebration or get together to celebrate the occasion. I miss being a kid to. I remembering opening a can soda not all the way but enough that I can suck the soda out of it as if I am slurping on a freeze cup (frozen kool-aid in a Styrofoam cup). I miss those freeze cups things to. Lovin your smilies!!

To me that is such an amazing concept as we don’t have toy libraries here! Just the regular book kind, which you can also borrow magazines, cd’s, and movies from. That just sounds soo cool. The hide and seek place also sounds pretty cool. I hope you had a blast at all those birthday parties, I only remember having one big one that my parents hosted for a lot of people when I was little. Christmas was always the big holiday for me as a kid, birthday was kind of secondary. Although I like birthday cake ;)

It’s tsrange, but as a kid my mother made me have birthday parties, but I was an obstinate kid and finally when I was 13 my mother conceeded. We still have cake and I still take my friends out to dinner/brunch and pay, but I don’t celebrate it like everyone else (even when I was eighteen I just had a quiet, nice time) /eee /cool /eee