A Birthday Party In a New Country

Let me set the stage for Lenora's 4th birthday. A birthday in a new country, with new friends.

Lenora has been going to her preschool for about 3 months now and she has met and befriended all of the kids in her class and likes her teachers.  She went from not really wanting to go to school to asking when the next school day was going to be.

She particularly likes a group of girls in her class and talks about "Sophie, Kate and Mae" all the time.  Always "Sophie, Kate, and Mae"; it almost makes you think it's one girl with a really long name.  She even came home one day with blue eye shadow on her eyes.  Sophie had brought blue and pink eye shadow to school and proceeded to adorn the other girls in the class with a generous helping.  When I picked Lenora up that day I thought she had fallen down and received two black eyes!  

So Lenora has met some new friends and has become part of the class, but I have yet to meet a parent from the school.  Every day I drop Lenora off and I pick her up.   I chitchat with the teachers a bit.  And in all that time only one parent has stopped to talk to me.  And I didn't even know who her kid was.  She just asked if I was new.  I saw her once and never saw her again.  I should explain that I find the drop off and pick up of kids at this school very weird, especially coming from a Co-op Preschool.  When I drop Lenora off in the morning, I stand outside the preschool and say goodbye.  The parents don't go inside, are never asked inside and I get the feeling they are not wanted inside.  Most of the parents (or childminders) don't linger.  Same with the pick up.  So there's no real opportunity to talk to or get to know the parents.  Maybe that's how most schools operate and I'm just not used to it, but I find it weird and unfriendly.  

Now we're coming up on Lenora's birthday.  And we're trying to decide whether we should have a party for her.  Who would we invite?  She has some friends at school but we've never seen them out side of school.  We've never had any play dates with them.   I don't even know what half the kids in the class look like, since I'm not allowed in the damn classroom.  The parents don't know us.  I don't know them.  What should we do?  How would we even invite the kids?  I don't know where any of them even live!  Should we just skip having a party this year?  That's what I was planning on doing until Ash brought up Lenora's birthday.  He thought we should ask her what she wanted to do for her birthday.  And of course, not knowing the logistics of what goes into planning a party, said she wanted a party with her friends from school.  So we set about trying to figure out how to invite these "phantom" kids to her party.  

It turned out not to be that hard.  I talked to the teachers and they said just to give them the invitations and they would hand them out to the parents.  Easy-peasy! Next came waiting for RSVPs.  I was worried none of the kids would come since their parents don't know us AT ALL.  But there was no need to worry.  All of the parents accepted the invites and Sophie, Kate, Mae and Eva (all the girls in her class) came to the party. They all had a lovely time.  None of the parents even stayed for the party!  And it turns out none of the parents know each other.  And Sophie, Kate and Mae are only friends at school.  So even though we are the "Americans", it turns out we're all in the same boat.  

I'm so glad Ash suggested the party or asking Lenora what she wanted.  I was making a mountain out of a mole hill.  Now I know the parents, and we've all exchanged phone numbers.  Hopefully we can arrange some play dates for summer vacation. 

Please enjoy some pictures from Lenora's 4th Birthday.  It was a great event!