Since the start of school  there has been at least one birthday party a week.  Throw a few playdates on top and I think I might need to consider employing a social secretary for the kids! Any more parties, and I might have to consider re-mortgaging the house!  On a serious note though, to keep track I have had to diarise the dates and venues, and set alarm reminders to go gift shopping, as well as remember to remind DH of his post-work-party-pick-up responsibilities. I completely empathise with one Mum who recently turned up at the wrong venue and wondered if no one had told her the party had been cancelled!

And, even though I have boy/girl twins and have a very good understanding of what 7 year boys and girls old like, I still find it tricky trying to find the right gift for the guest of honour.  When we first started going to birthday parties, I tried to set a budget of AED50 but, due to inflation, that was quickly doubled.  Somehow the birthday party industry has not heard of the world financial crisis……Do you know how hard it is to find something more interesting/bigger/fun than a yoyo for AED50???  Even now, AED100 is not much as all the potentially ‘decent’ gifts are nudging AED150….However, for best friends (which seem to change every week!), we try to make a special effort.

So, for last weekend’s party which DD attended, she asked her friend what she liked.  ‘Moshi Monsters’ was the response…though I have learned to question the veracity of these conveyed responses.  Somehow the requested gift always seems to mirror exactly what DD or DS loves at that particular moment in time.  Anyhoo, for this special friend, DD chose a number of Moshi Monster products.  DD insisted on wrapping the gift herself.  The gift wrap was pretty; small white hearts on a lilac background.

Party day – DD eagerly ran to her friend. She thrust the, by now ‘tired looking’, gift wrapped gift on her friend. Honestly, the paper was so crumpled, it looked like it had been recycled…..at least 5 times!

Shortly after DD handed over her gift, another friend came along to hand over her gift which was beautifully hidden in an untouched, non-creased, elegant Juicy Couture gift bag.  To think I thought I had pushed out the boat on this gift………