Birthday Party

So my kid got invited to his first classmate birthday party ever! Hooray! I know this doesn't seem like much to brag about off hand, but when your kid came from foster care and hasn't spent more than a year in one placement, let alone in one school, this is kind of a big deal. This was also new to me as well so I went with an open mind, excited to see what was in store. Here's what we learned while attending a party for a kid and a bunch of other people I don't know:

Jump/bounce places smell like feet and butt sweat but the kids relish in it.

The majority of the kids run around like a bunch of wild animals, screaming their heads off.

My kid was pretty tame compared to some of the others.

Most of the parents line the walls and stare awkwardly, avoiding interaction and eye contact, sort of like a bunch of 13yo's at an 8th grade dance. I conversed with one mom the entire time and getting her to speak seemed a bit forced.

One mom said, "let me guess which kid is yours..." and proceeded to point at one of the only two Mexican children in the room. Luckily we indeed adopted a Hispanic child, otherwise that would have been awkward. (Sí, señora, que es mi hijo.)

Some kids are super whiny and their parents baby them to the max everytime they whine, thus producing more whining/crazy hysterics over absolutely nothing.

Some 4yr olds can get out of hand with glow in the dark necklaces, using them as a whip to strike at other kids. I laughed hysterically at one, because I could tell that she was just playing around and not meaning any harm.

Another kids mom got pretty angry at the said child, saying, "Who's brat is that??" "That hurts, and if it hits my child with that necklace, I'm going to be PISSED!" (Take it easy mommy dearest)

That same mom barreled over to the poor clueless 4yo, grabbing at her hands as she reared back to strike again, got in her face saying lord knows what, and made the child hide in fear.

I intervened and turned her whip back into a necklace and told her how much prettier she was with it on her neck instead of using it as a weapon. She smiled and said, "thank you" and walked away. Problem solved.

Some parents bring their kids to join in the fun but quietly leave right before gifts we're given. (Mmm hmmm, we noticed)

Goody bags consist of a bunch of worthless junk toys and cheap candy that end up in the garbage, but kids go crazy for them anyway and freak if they misplace them. (What's with that??)

Hooray pizza, cupcakes, and soda!! (Kind of)

Sounds like boatloads of fun right? Actually it wasn't so bad. This being another first for him, I was pretty surprised that he did as well as he did. I was expecting him to go crazier, be harder to reel in, and less manageable because generally speaking, Asher doesn't have a history of faring well in that type of atmosphere. But the most important things I learned today was that my child is beginning to adjust and behave like other kids, make friends, play well with others, and have some security in knowing that he can look forward to more celebrations like this because he's finally home for good. It's been just over a year that he and his brother came to be with us, and though we still have a lot of struggles, he's come so far and I'm one proud mama.