Mr. Roboto

This weekend started our playgroup's summer birthday season in earnest with Bix's 4th birthday Robot Factory party.  As his mom Monica said, this is what you get when your parents both went to art school. And what a creative party it was. Dad Humphrey made the coolest robot I've ever seen with enough strength to withstand the onslaught of kids I saw tugging and playing with it.  The idea being that the kids could decorate the robot, and later it would launch a dance party with lots of electronica-leaning tunes to get things really funky.  Well, the kids loved it.  The parents loved it. And yes, even the babies loved it.  I can't imagine anything better than having your friends help smear glue and glitter all over the place and then break it down with you Mr. Roboto-style...

And so with the month of July already underway, we start rolling over the year to number 4. Four years of these kids in our lives already and now they are able to really connect and talk about their friendships.  And they know a good party when they see it.  I've always been a fan of the lowkey birthday party, probably because all of mine were spent with family at restaurants.  Cake and ice cream at home with your grandparents was about as exciting as it got until middle school. But Monica and Humphrey really had a great idea with this one, and the way the kids responded to it showed how much they enjoyed the creativity behind it.  Bix was a natural on the dance floor, spinning, kicking and even breakdancing for all to see. And by the time we were all danced out, there was some delicious ice cream cake to eat. Can't beat a summer birthday for that alone.  So the next month before we leave for Spain should be a busy one with a few more celebrations and lots of friends to hang out with.  I know some people talk about summer birthdays as if the kids get shafted by not being in school to invite friends, but with our life revolving around the park as it does in this neighborhood, I think summer birthdays might just be the best ones yet.