A1 started school this year, and on the first day of school it was a kid’s birthday party and they all got party packs – awesome, right? A1 thought so, and I suppose it was a pretty good start to the year. Except, as a parent here is my dilemma – the gift/toy/surprise/thing that each kid got as part of the pack? A DVD…. Yeah, so uhm, now what? How does one keep up with that?
I know I’m supposed to feel all like Don’t worry, it’s the thought that counts, and kids don’t care, and I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it and and and….
Except, now my kid is at school, and I don’t want to set him up for future bullying because he’s the kid who gave crappy stuff with his party pack etc etc. Kids can be cruel, and I would like to avoid any sort of anything bad happening to my child as a result of something not even his own fault. It would be mine for sending the crappy stuff in the first place.
So I’ve come up with an idea of what I can do instead, without it costing us an arm and a leg. Instead of buying buckets or plastic packets or cardboard boxes or whatever is available these days, I’m going to make each kid in his class a small kiddy-sized messenger bag, in which to put all the snacky things. I will even go so far as to personalise each child’s bag with their initial to make it extra special. That in itself is not the problem. I’ve got this whole bit figured out already. Now I just need to get going on the bags, seeing as I’m probably gonna have to make like 20 or so of them. At least I have until May 
Part two of my story – with A1 going to school and all, we can’t now *not* send party packs to school. And we will, I don’t mind that. Besides, all his friends are at school anyway, so they will be spending the day with him as it is. No, the thing is, I don’t want to give him a home party as well. I could give a rats arse about the extended outlaw family, and it’s not like A1 sees them very often any way. In fact, he never sees them at all! So that would leave only school friends to invite and they’ve mos had their party already. So instead, as a celebration, I’ve decided we’ll take A1 and his BFF J to Build-a-Bear, where they can each build their own bear and dress him up and have fun like that. We’ll also go for ice cream or to Spur or wherever the kids feel like going.
Now here comes my dilemma:
I have the opportunity to use images of a brand new, unreleased as of yet (branded merchandise may only be put on shelves as of 16 May), super awesome animation movie. Now, seeing as we’re not going to have a party, I don’t know what to use them for 
Invitations are out and so is everything else party decorations related. And I’m making the kids bags so I can’t even make stickers and stick them on the packs. And I would really, Really, REALLY like to use them! This is where I need your help! WHAT can I do with the pictures to create a theme for A1′s school party to make it special? (It’s the small things that count)
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnddddddd GO!
xx
PS. Yes, I might be a drama queen
PPS. Yes, I might be prone to panicking and working myself up over/about things that may never even happen
PPPS. Yes, I might *need* to keep up with the Jones’s (to the extent that I become a Smith)
PPPPS. If none of the above post made any sense to you, please understand that it’s because of PS, PPS and PPPS…