you know...

you're popular when you get invited to two birthday parties on the same day. Seriously!

Let me back up a bit here....

As a kid, I was not popular. Sure, I had friends, and I loved the friends I had. I didn't really care who they "were", because to me, they were the folks I wanted to be around. Does that make sense? So, I wasn't part of the elite...the popular...the "snobs". Sure, I talked to them, and they were all nice to me, but it wasn't an inclusionary type of nice. And I really didn't care. I was who I was...a band geek, drama nerd, I hung out with people that others considered losers or bad...but they were nice to me and I was nice to them.

And I've kept that way all my life. I even find it a bit odd to NOW be part of a group of ladies who are "the popular" ones in life...because I never aimed myself in that direction.

But my daughter? Well...of course I want her to be liked. And to be a good friend. And to have people like her for who she is, and not for what she has. And to that extent, I don't go out of my way to buy her name brand clothing and high priced things to make her liked. But I don't set her up for failure either...I don't dress her in out of date clothing, make her wear polka dotted pants and striped shirts....or make her wear things that don't fit (either too big OR too small) just because "they still have good use in them". Hannah wears hand-me-downs from her cousins (and we are always appreciative of those, because, hey...CLOTHING IS NOT CHEAP!)...Hannah wears a lot of stuff from WalMart (because, HEY...low prices!).

So, I don't set out to make her Ms. Popularity. She does that all on her own. She's a well-liked kid...she makes friend easily. She's got personality PLUS...she has a magnetic smile that draws you in...she's a crazy kid that makes you laugh.

So...recently she was invited to a birthday party. I knew she would, she's been friends with Katy since kindergarten and they have attended each others' birthday parties every year. (heck, I even hang out with Katy's mom!). But when Hannah mentioned that another girl in her class was going to invite her to a party, I thought nothing of it. I told Hannah we'd wait till the invitation came. And it did.

And yes...she was invited to C's party...on the same day as Katy's party. But here's the kicker. It's at the same time. oh...the agony.

But wait...there's MORE.

It's at the SAME PLACE. Yup.

So...inasmuch as I would have said no to the second invite (having received Katy's first, AND also having known about it even before the invite), I felt that if I said no, and then we showed up, at the same place, for a different party, well....it would have been awkward, no?

So I called C's mom up and explained. She said she knew there was another party, but Hannah was the first (and only) kid she'd heard of that had been invited to BOTH parties. Seriously...what are the ODDS???? Both birthday girls are 2nd graders...at the same school...but have not been in the same class yet.

So, I'm off today to get birthday present number 2 for C's party. We'll figure it all out when we get there. I'll do what I can to be sure Hannah's there to sing Happy Birthday for both girls...and when they're all in the pool (oh, did I mention it's a pool party? At the Clarion Hotel? NO? Oops!) she will have to be gracious and play with both girls.

I think it will be a lesson for her as well...how to share herself without hurting feelings.

I'm glad my daughter is well-liked...it will be an asset for her, as a military child. Moving to a new community isn't easy, but I think she'll do well wherever we go!