tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38232942.post-81559576594155602432008-04-12T12:09:00.000-07:002008-04-12T12:29:37.322-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.motherhoodlaterthansooner.com/blog/uploaded_images/JoannaBrodyHeadShot-764166.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.motherhoodlaterthansooner.com/blog/uploaded_images/JoannaBrodyHeadShot-764160.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />And so it has begun. We are now being invited to birthday parties for little kids. Not that we haven't been invited in the past. It's just that we never had children before so it never seemed like a fun way to spend a Saturday with dozens of screaming little kids and bad pizza and too much cake (what I imagine little kids birthday parties to include).<br /><br />We will be attending our first little kid birthday party next week for a 2 year old boy. I will bring Joey who loves to play with "big" kids and will leave Lyra with my mother. Here's my dilemma. Do we bring a gift (the invitation doesn't say not to). What do we bring? How much do we spend?<br /><br />It seems like it should be a simple thing to figure out but I really need some help with ideas. I always get caught up in "oh he probably already has a dump truck/toy cell phone/stuffed doggy." And "I'm sure clothes are soooo boring for little boys to receive." And "He is the only child with upper middle class parents. What could he possibly need/want?"<br /><br />Even though I have three nephews, I can't for the life of me remember what I got them when each of them turned 2.<br /><br />So, any advice for a first-time 40-something mom who is attending her first official little kid birthday party?Joanna Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11337955004185252813noreply@blogger.com