Tortilla Destruction and Birthday Parties

Tortilla Destruction: no, I'm not talking about Phillip at a Mexican restaurant. I'm talking Homestyle Mission tortillas, just purchased from the local Walmart, innocently waiting on the countertop for Saturday night dinner...sabotaged by kitty kitty. Yes, he was patiently waiting for me to let my guard down. He had been such a good kitty for the last few weeks, that I didn't even think twice when I set a bread-like product on the kitchen counter, leaving it vulnerable to the thieving feline. I've gotta give him props, though. He waited until we were all in bed asleep before the attack. Phillip found the demolished package in the corner of the kitchen floor. Perhaps one reason it seems Buster has been so good lately is because he's been going outside to play with the boys in the afternoons, and we leave him out all night. He never runs off. He sleeps in one of our outbuildings, then comes back in when I call him in the morning. I've been sleeping a lot better without cat claws or teeth in my feet during the earliest hours, or waking to the sounds of him acting a fool.

Wyatt's 4th birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. Unlike many parents out there, I have not fallen victim to the insanity of hosting a party at such devilish places as Chuck E. Cheese. Is it just me, or does it almost seem like a competition? Who can host the best party? Who really cares, as long as the kids have fun? Please, people. Don't you know how much parents hate going to Chuck E. Cheese? I will be having Wyatt's birthday party in the backyard, just like I do every year. I serve semi-homemade cake because it tastes so much better than store bought, and it's much cheaper. We get a pinata and let the kids beat their frustrations out on it, we have a sandbox, a water table, a huge fort with a rocket slide (shoots you out at high speeds), and one of those horse toys on springs. Parents bring their lawn chairs and we sit and talk and relax. No one will steal or molest our children. It isn't crowded. We all take care of each other's kids. To me, that is so much more enjoyable. Plus, the kids don't have to battle with strangers or mean kids to have a turn at a game or something elsewhere. I hope Wyatt will always enjoy having a party at home.