Killjoy

I have done a terrible thing. I have decreed that we are not doing a massive birthday party for my daughter this year, with 50 children, a magician, a face-painter, a clown, a bouncy castle and a chocolate fountain. Which will likely be confusing for her, as pretty much everyone else we know has had one of that ilk this year. I just fail to see the value in doing that every year. What do you do for a "special" birthday if every year is an extravaganza? *

This could be an Irish phenomenon. Case in point: I met a friend's babysitter a few weeks ago, and she was about to celebrate her 21st. These parties are often as expansive, and expensive, as wedding receptions. "I don't like the massive parties," she said. "I'm just going out to dinner with 30 of my friends, and then to a club..."

Um. That sounds like a big party to me. Obviously I'm a bit of a hermit.

This is before I start telling you about the madness that accompanies events like first Communions, Confirmations, stag nights, etc. On one hand, I am firmly in the "any excuse to party" camp and love the whole party milieu, but on the other, if the point of it is to have a special day/night, you have to exercise some kind of moderation. Especially with children. I can honestly say, that after doing anything and everything to make a fuss over my first-born (so she wouldn't feel psychically maimed by having a demanding baby brother), that yes you CAN spoil a child. You are better off just trying to include them, communicate with them, and show them you love them than trying to compensate. Taking my daughter out to lunch, shopping, etc has had no effect whatsoever other than leading her to expect special treatment. Laughing at her jokes, though - she likes that a lot.

So the Irish elections are coming up, and I am shocked and horrified at the bizarre jibes and promises of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael - if they do even one of the things in office they say they will, this economy will undergo some seismic effects. It's as if they are desperate to get (or stay) in power. The debate between the sparring PMs is on tonight, which should be entertaining. Enda Kenny resembles a sort of hollow-cheeked brainy scarecrow, and you always get the feeling Bertie Ahern is just waiting to wake up from a dream where he says "Bejasus, I had a dream I was Taoiseach! Mad stuff! Get us a cup o tea, love." Apparently he spends something like 5000 Euro a week on makeup. (Presumably for all his TV appearances, unless he has a well-concealed drag queen career.)

*just fyi, we are having a family party with 3 of her little friends in attendance and I have bought pink plates, cups, ballons, streamers, Barbie bubbles and lots of presents. So I'm not completely evil.