I have officially broken a record this year. I did not start planning Texas birthday until well past my January 1st hold date. I say hold date because I am forbidden from discussing birthday planning until the new year. The quandary with birthday planning is that each year must outshine the last. I figure I only have maybe three more years before my tiny charge puts his foot down and declares a Chuck E Cheese’s event or something similarly horrendous. And so with about four months to plan and execute we are now in full birthday planning mode. This year’s theme is superheroes but of course it will not be that easy – I will not bow to the played out Superman and Spider-Man of convention – nope we will be inventing 17 unique superhero personas complete with unique superpowers.

Most people think of children’s party planning as a struggle to overcome each year – for me it is a chance to invent the perfect two hours for my perfect little guy. Every tedious detail thought and re-thought. Diagrams, dry runs, organizing, labeling all in preparation for the one hour of madness we have to assemble the perfect setting before guests arrive.

It is my annual control freak type-A masterpiece. In my insane world I get to be 100% in control. My Camelot.