Would You Call That an Octoped?

Though it is now well past time for many people to begin their day, I have actually been up since the wee hours of the morning. I had the strangest dream, and after that sleep simply would not come. Interpret this, if you can: I dreamed that I was watching a segment of the Today show in which Matt Lauer was standing underneath an umbrella (though it was not raining), and he was showcasing this . . . thing that was supposed to be an animal but was really some sort of freak of nature, a hybrid of sorts. It looked like a tiny lamb, but it had legs like an octopus. Eight furry legs. My friend Joy was sitting in a chair holding the lamb-octopus, and she sat in front of Matt Lauer, who was still addressing the camera and encouraging people in the crowd on Rockefeller Plaza to come up and touch or hold the creature. And as he went to commercial, he muttered the words, "A little help, guys?" which I found odd since it was not he who was wrangling the eight-legged ungulate, but my friend. What was HE whining about?

The next thing I remember is Joy gingerly placing the beast in my arms while Matt is assuring me that it won't bite me (oh, is THAT all I have to be worried about?), and then I felt this swirly, crawly sensation as the animal sort of sprang to life and started to envelop me in its tentacle-legs. Ugh. Creepy. Is it any wonder that I was wide awake after that?

I've never been one to try to find a lot of meaning in my dreams, perhaps because I don't typically have very memorable ones. And I'm not inclined to spend much time ruminating over this one, but I do think I know what caused me to awaken so early this morning. Today is the day I throw a party for Tyler and six of his buddies, and if that isn't enough to jolt me awake, nothing will!

You see, I am not a party planner. I have zero confidence in my ability to plan a party, which is why I was always so happy to fork out the dough to take our birthday child and his or her three or four closest friends to Galaxy Games and Golf, where you didn't have to worry about food, decorations or entertainment. But as they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and I found that to be true of the birthday packages around here. Or perhaps it's the fact that I can't throw the birthday child and his/her friends into a ball pit or down a slide and call it a party anymore. (In truth, Tyler's such a big kid that he would probably STILL find that fun to some degree.)

Tyler is pretty sensitive to our financial situation so to celebrate his twelfth birthday (which is not until July 5), rather than insisting on the laser tag/bowling/arcade package for $200+, he compromised on laser tag (which is what he REALLY wants to do with his buddies anyway), and then basketball and a pizza party at the church building. Simple, right? Then why do I feel so anxious?

I'll tell you why. Because it's TOO simple. I mean, come on . . . basketball at the church building? For his birthday?! It just seems so . . . stark. So I, the party planner extraordinaire (NOT), feel the need to dress it up somehow. And that is most definitely not my forte. I went to the store the other night to get some decorations--I really only need to worry about one table in the fellowship room, to tell you the truth--and I was able to get some very, very cute (if I do say so myself) 4th of July-themed table coverings, paper goods, trays and bowls that will hopefully make the room look somewhat festive. Because you know how fussy 11- to 13-year-old boys can be. :-)