When we had our second child just two weeks (and four years) after the birth of our first child, it seemed like a brilliant idea! For years we had a joint birthday party, in between the dates, with fun for everyone. Until… one daughter wanted a princess party and the other, well, very much did NOT.

Now we get to scramble to produce two equally awesome parties just two weeks apart for two children who have few interests in common and completely different sets of friends. While Zoe took a small group of pals to Build-A-Bear for her special day, Ella’s plans were grander. In fact, if she had had her way, she would have invited all 31 kids in her class (plus a few who go to other schools now) to Dave & Buster’s for her birthday.

Not to be crass, but it ain’t cheap to host a party there to begin with – oh, and if you haven’t heard of Dave & Buster’s, it’s like an upgraded Chuck E. Cheese (with a sports bar). It’s basically an arcade with food and drink and loud sounds and funky dimmed lighting, like a miniature casino without the gambling. To party there, you select food options and include a “play card” for each kid.

Thankfully, Ella was OK with selecting a smaller group of kids she knows best to invite first, since 100% of them RSVP’d YES and showed up (that was 16 friends). As a parent, it’s also awkward to say “no siblings” (especially as a parent of two who knows the other kid either wants to go and can’t or has nowhere else to go…). We gently listed that on the invite, though we ended up with several siblings anyway, in addition to Zoe. But the party details are not the point, though part of the goal of this blog is to give the kids a behind-the-scenes glimpse into parenting. Check.

Now back to the birthday girl ELLA! This kid is phenomenal. A social butterfly who literally got a Kindness Award at her school for always helping and looking out for others. She’s also super smart, though she’ll remind you that she was “held back” (she was not) and did kindergarten twice (she did not). So she already knows everything. She is however among the oldest in her class due to her September birthday–the opposite of Zoe who is among the youngest in her grade since she was born on the cutoff date.

As you can guess, our little social butterfly Ella was surrounded by friends on her birthday, many of whom she plays Roblox and Minecraft with online–and all of whom are always ready to play. Thus, Dave & Buster’s was the perfect venue!

She flitted around from group to group as these kids ran all over the arcade playing games and laughing. They all regrouped towards the end of the party for the obligatory birthday cake moment and regaled Ella with a super-loud, 9-year-old-worthy birthday song:

Before you ask, Bart did NOT make that cake. BUT he did buy a huge chocolate sheet cake from Costco (recommend) and decorated the top in Minecraft green and brown blocks, adding in some Minecraft figures to boot. Ella loved it (and it was delicious). Here’s a close-up:

Don’t judge his block placement. Turns out it’s way easier to place blocks in the game. After the party (read: 3 hours at D&B), we hung out in the Hollywood & Highland shopping area, which has a manmade park in the center where kids can run and play. That’s where we took these high quality modeling shots:

Not sure if you can see it on Zoe’s wrist, but one of Ella’s party favors was a spinning, light up bracelet. We handed out glow sticks upon arrival, hoping that would help all us parents find the party kids in the darkened arcade. The cute Minecraft boxes we found online had a Minecraft straw, a ring pop, and that bracelet, each lovingly filled and handed out upon departure. I really believe it’s true that sometimes handing favors out at the end is the ONLY way to get kids to leave a party.

Anyway, Ella had a fabulous birthday and is a truly fabulous kid. I don’t know which age I’ve loved best for this daughter, but other than the fact she’s gotten so smart that she questions and disputes direction (nicely, so far), this age has been a great one. Here’s to many more parties and birthdays for this playful child. May she always be up for a game and surrounded by friends (and as happy to snuggle with Mom as she still is today).