Memories Worth Remembering

Friday afternoon arrived after hours of frenetic activity in the kitchen baking tiny biscuits, butterfly cakes and Masterchef sausage rolls. But at 3.30pm Misty the pony arrived sporting flouro stars and hearts on her rear and it was suddenly party central at our place.

After a bout of gastro on her birthday and subsequent postponing of the pony party, Caylee was left feeling like her birthday was a non-event. Her friend had his party the following week but not actually on his birthday, which added to her confusion, followed by Mother's Day to which she said, "Happy Birthday Mummy!" We needed to get the party rescheduled and quickly to help this little girl feel like she'd had a birthday and was now officially three.

Far and Wide

One of the issues we face being separated from our family is amplified on special occasions such as birthdays. Often we've celebrated just as a family but a tiny fragment of sadness would creep into my heart, thinking about our loved ones who had missed out again because they lived so far away. There had to be a solution to this - one that would fill the void, if only during those important times.

The Solution

We'll rent a family. Perfect. What a great idea! After a quick scan through the address book and corresponding police check, the invitations were sent out to surrogate Grandma's, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. (If you didn't get an invite, maybe your record wasn't as clean as you let on! Joking.) So, they came from surrounding suburbs, clutching gifts, scoffing savouries and supping teas, coffees and together, we soaked it all in.

There was a soccer game for the boys and Caylee who, dressed in her white party dress braced herself with hands clutching her knees called continuously, "Tackle, tackle!" Whenever the pony passed through, there were shouts of, "Hold the ball!" That was to avoid the pony getting a head-knock from a spinning stray ball. Incidentally, the pony did an excellent job leaving behind a mine field of fertilizer right where the boys were playing. How many times the ball rolled through the piles of poo ? I do not want to know!

When one little boy was asked if he wanted to ride the pony he replied, "No, I've got to hold my lipstick." O-kay. I'll be speaking to that child's mother!

Good Therapy

As the children delighted in the tiny party food, I realized all the preparation and effort had been worth it. I enjoyed every moment. Jordan (10.5yrs) had helped me throw together the ice cream cake (many thanks to my Facebook friends for tips and suggestions of which most I read after making the cake!) And with every cupcake that was iced and every cookie that was baked, I thought about the daughter we lost mid-pregnancy seven years ago, who I never got to do this for and also the daughter who was getting to enjoy it but who I'd held out for despite years passing by and still no sign of another baby. I'm so glad I never gave up on what I knew in my heart was right and simply kept believing until it happened.

The pony, the friends, the party food, the presents, the rent-a-family and friends was all such good therapy. Though it passed by in a blur it still enabled us to build another memory and acknowledge another milestone. In the future when we cast our minds back to this time, we will smile and agree it was a memory worth remembering.