Turning 5, Wish it was hives!

The day before the kids birthday was a busy one. I kissed the kids goodbye at the bus and rushed off. I had a history tour with the YWCA, errands to run, swim lessons for the kids, a mandarin class and needed to bake cupcakes to take the school the next day. The kids were excited that they had one day left in the count down till their birthday party.

When I saw them after school, dread hit me as I looked at my happy kids face. Austin had 7 spots on his check and face. Hives, zits, it could have been a million things. But in a classroom of 30 kids, 7 had recently broken out in Chicken Pox or “chicken pops” as some of the kids have been calling it. With their birthday and big party less than 24 hours away, I tried to stay calm. I called the doctor and booked an appointment right away. Ally went to swim lessons and Austin and I grabbed a taxi to Repulse Bay.

The doctor was positive it was chicken pox. So like any good mother who had a big party planned the next day, I asked the same question over and over. “Are you sure?” “Could it be gone by tomorrow?” No mater how I phrased the question, I realized we would be quarantined for our 5th birthday.

Austin cried at the news, but decided it wasn’t so bad since his best friends at school had the “pops” and now he did too. Ally on the other hand wasn’t so understanding. She cried off and on for the next 24 hours. My biggest concern was how to change a birthday party for 35 kids in less than 24 hours. I tried calling the preschool, but got no answer. Since it was already 4:30pm, I was worried it was closed for the day. So I had the cab head straight there. While Austin waited outside, I was able to get a message to the director. By the time we made it back to our apartment, I was on my mobile phone with her. She was very understanding, and let us reschedule the party until October 6th. On to the cake…. I had thought about baking my own, but soon realized everything I had to bring to the party had to be transported by cab including three kids (one of the classmates was coming home with us.) The cake guy quickly made some calls trying to stop the baker. After qetting the baker and ballons switched, I started calling the 35 families involved. All this with two kids running around.

The next day I put my mommy marketing into full force. We were having a House Party! I got up early and made buttermilk pancakes (we’ll since I’ve yet to find buttermilk here, they were really lemon milk pancakes.) We decorated the house. As each relative called, we pulled out the corresponding birthday card or gift. When that winded down. I pulled out the mom and dad gifts: wiggle scooters. We baked a turtle cake. The kids blew up ballons. Showing how wonderful and welcoming people are here, two families came by with gifts to help us pass the time. Dad came home early at 6:30 and we made turtle pizzas (dough cut like turtles with pesto, cheese and olive eyes) for our Pizza Party.

I think the kids actually enjoyed their quarantined day. Nothing new toys and some ballons couldn’t cure.

Party Planning 101 and 102 and 103….

Mommies all do what we have to do to make situations work. I call it Mommy Marketing. It’s the spin I put on events or situations to sell the kids on the idea. It could be pitching broccoli as mini trees and convincing the kids that giraffes everywhere would steal it right off their plate or telling them they are lucky to go with you to the DMV because it’s a special mommy and daddy place and race car drivers have to go there too.

Despite the fact that Steven and I were excited to move to Hong Kong, the kids weren’t convinced and I knew that I would have to present my biggest marketing campaign yet. We talked up the fact that Hong Kong has a Disneyland and Ocean Park; that they would get bunk beds and a 5th birthday party. Now most parents call this bribing, but basic bribery doesn’t capture the whole sales pitch involved.

Well Steven delivered on the bunk beds. Now it was my turn to deliver the party. Easy Peasy – I just booked the American club right across the street. After a couple of weeks of requesting information, I realized the club’s cheapest option would cost about the same as a small wedding. Panicked, I searched for other options. The problem with Hong Kong is a lack of space. There are no grassy parks to hold it in. We don’t have a backyard. The apartment building wouldn’t let me rent the indoor play space or sports court. I became a crazed woman asking anyone I knew for advice. With only a week and a half before the date, my neighbor suggested a preschool up the road. She watched the kids as I jumped in a taxi and raced up there. The place was just what we needed and more important it was affordable.

Ally and Austin are in the same physical classroom, but have different teachers and different classmates. It’s called cluster teaching. It’s an ideal way to start the separation of twins, but a nightmare when it comes to birthday party invitation lists. We tried making it small, but every week the list changed and it got to the point where it just made sense to invite them all. Another thing about Hong Kong is that most people have full time help. What that means is almost everyone can make it to the birthday party. So we knew we’d have about 35 kids


I spent the rest of the week trying to find matching party plates for 35 kids. Again, no easy task here. If I want to break the ice with someone new here, all I have to say is “Don’t you miss Target?” and an hour conversation can go from there. Everything here is a treasure search. You have to find where the golden nuggets are and once you find them you have to realize stock is sporadic and inconsistent. Sitting in a cab for 40 minutes to get to a party store to find one set of napkins, makes me laugh at all the people in California who asked me what I would do with all my free time. One friend here claims food procurement alone is a full time job.

Serveral days of searches leds to success! Austin is having an ocean party complete with turtles, killer whales and sharks and Ally is having a Little Mermaid Under the Sea party. We have just enough plates and napkins in each design and ocean goody bags for all. I found a place to deliver a cake, another to deliver ballons and last got the number of pizza to add substance to our food. Evelyn and I stay up late making spring rolls and stuffing goody bags. It looks like I am going to deliver on time….