My children have been invited to many birthday parties over the years and I have had many birthday parties for them. We would invite their friends and have parties at home. They would not be surprise parties because it would be too hard to keep small friends from mentioning the parties. The first couple of parties that I planned I thought I would keep the decorations a surprise. I would go to the supply store and pick out a theme and buy decorations، plates، cups and napkins as well as the party favors. This was always a great deal of fun. I decided that the experience should be shared with the child having the birthday so they could have the fun of picking out the party favors.
My daughter enjoyed having birthday parties، but my middle son was the true party king. He loved to go along to pick out the theme for the party and the decorations that would go along with it. When he was eight years old he wanted to have a Hawaiian party. He decided this when he saw the decorations and grass skirts at the supply shop. His birthday is in the summer so I told him if he wanted to go with this theme we could. He picked out different colored paper leis for the guest and instead of party favors he wanted paper umbrellas for the punch and coconuts. My father loved real coconuts and would buy them and crake them open for the grandchildren. My son always loved the fresh coconut and wanted to give one to each of his friends. I had so many party favors sitting around the house that my children have brought home I thought that most parents would welcome party favors that could be shared with the whole family.
We bought the coconuts and spread them on the outdoor tables along with some pineapples. I served a coconut and pineapple cake and the children tried to hula dance. It was a very fun party for the children to participate in and for the adults to watch. The tables looked nice and I did not have all the decorations to store when the event was over.
My son is now twenty five years old. He told his father and me that he is going to get married. He wants to have a small wedding and reception in Hawaii. We think this will be wonderful and relaxing. We had to laugh when his future bride told us that she still had the lei that she wore as a guest at his eighth birthday party. She is a neighbor girl and was at the party. It was the first time she had seen a coconut and she has wanted to go to Hawaii every since she received her party favors seventeen years ago. I think they were made for each other.
