25 November 2002

Cat’s Fete de Anniversaire

Yesterday was Cat’s Fete de Anniversaire (birthday party). 

Just getting the invitation to the party together caused me major anxiety.  I had to look up the words in French and then have Jay edit.  I wasn’t confident with his edits so I asked Natalie, my French friend.  She reassured me that I was correct so the invitation ended up reading:

 

Cat’s Fete de Anniversaire

9 Novembre 2002

14:00-15:30 (2-3:30)

R.S.V.P. avant (before) 4 Novembre

03.55.66.77.89

 

Long before I put the invitation together I tried to think through what type of party we could have with four or five eight year old girls who spoke no English.  I kept asking myself what I would do if someone got hurt because my French speaking includes many words but hardly any sentences.

Cat said she would like to have a treasure hunt.  Everything here is so outrageously expensive I knew that if I wanted to pull off a treasure hunt I was going to have to be extra creative.  So when I went to the US in September for a meeting I scrounged around the Goodwill and junk places for a few goodies.  The Target Store became my new best friend. 

The invitations were distributed at school in plenty of time for the girls to let me know if they were coming.  Only one mom, Natalie said her girls would be there.  Natalie was invited to give me moral support and to translate if I got into a pinch.

Natalie has two of the most beautiful children I’ve ever seen.  Roxie is the same age as Cat.  She is small like her, and very smart.  Her skin is a light copper color and she has dark eyes and brown hair.  Her sister, Alex looks like a little elf with dimples in her checks.  She has the same coloring as Roxie but has the happiest spirit.  Alex is a year younger then Cat.

A couple of times I saw Maryann’s  (Marr e on) mother at the café downtown and mentioned to her about the party.  She is a stunning blonde woman who is a local optometrist  She speaks a little English.  Maryann has her picture on the bus stop billboard advertising the eye place her mom and dad own.   She looks very French with dark hair and eyes.

By the week of the party the only R.S.V.P. was from Natalie.  Cat kept saying that there were five girls coming to the party.   I wasn’t feeling confident about that number.

On more then one occasion I had tried to catch the eye of one of the mothers.  She seems so typically French with her shopping basket on her arm, and all dressed up to walk around the market place.  She never returns my smile so I was pretty sure that her daughter wasn’t coming to the party.

The best part of the whole process was that I wasn’t concerned about who was going to show up.  Living in France has taught me not to worry.  Whatever happens…happens.

By the time the bell at the gate rang the treasure map was in place, the secret clues were hidden and the treasure was safely resting in the stairwell to the basement.

The girls, Roxie, Alex, Maryann and Cat could hardly contain themselves as they used colored markers to decorate a white paper tablecloth wishing Cat a happy birthday.  Once they placed the feather treasure hunting hats on their heads they were off up the four flights of steps to find the clues.

After awhile Natalie and I could hear them racing back down the steps…without the clues.  I had failed to show them an example of what they were looking for.  Back up the steps they all raced with yelps of laughter and happiness.  After awhile they found almost all of the clues so Natalie and I helped a little at the end, which only added to their happiness.

The treasure chest was a big hit.  Each girl received a bag with old fashioned evening gloves, eye balls that stick to the wall and then roll down, a rope game they like to play, jacks (they had never heard of this game), balloons with a pump to blow them up, little puzzles, face glitter and some spider rings.  The squealing and showing off of each thing brought a big smile to our adult faces.

As I watched the girls eat their ice cream floats sprinkled with gummy worms I kept thinking that little girls are the same the world over.  They want to have time to be “little girls”.  They want to feel loved and cherished.  AND they love to watch gooey eyeballs roll down the wall.