I just invite family from both sides and a few close friends. That is what I am doing for my babies first next month. I have the oldest and middle in December so we have their birthdays togethor. Last year I was actually just going to have a small birthday with just us and the kids but DH wanted the family over go figure. So I just invited my grandma, my parents his parents and siblings and two close friends of mine. One has a kid. A lot of my family lives in Montana (Uncles) so I am going to invite my parents, grandparents, Dh's parents and his one sister and two brothers because another brother lives in Minnesota and his other sister took off to Kentuckey.

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Mom to Kellan 12-16-2000
Brooklyn 12-27-2005
Nolan 10-15-2007
Wife to Russell 10-14-2005

Neither DH nor I grew up having big parties for our b-days. I think for a few years, such as my 13th and 16th b-days I know that I had a party with a few friends, but usually they were just family parties. We are planning to do the same with DD. Her first b-day party was just us, her grandparents, her great grandmother, DH's sister and niece, and my sister and brothers. We hope to keep it that way for a long time.

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We usually just have family parties which can consist of 15-20 people. I kinda go all out for that as far as appetizers, meal and cake and ice cream. But that is just me and I really love to host get togethers. ds1 did have a party with friends from school last year. We invited the entire class and probably had about 15 kids show up. I had it at the Rec center so we had a private room and than the kids ran around the gym and played. At the time, the pool was closed for repairs or we probably would have had the kids swim too. I am really hoping that neither ds1 or ds2 ask for a party with their friends. It is just so much work and about the only place here in town to do anything fun is at the Rec center. Another close place is McDonalds (15 miles away), but I didnt want to put anyone out by having them drive that far. I DO NOT want any of their buddies at my house destroying things!!! Some of those little kids (girls too!) were just so rude (burping, screaming, etc) at the party last year, that I could not handle them in my house. The boys dont have their bdays until Jan and March, so I guess we will wait and see.

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Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.
Jon Bon Jovi

We have a family party every year for each of the kids.
Every even year they have a "friend" party, having it every other year, they really seem to look forward to it!

My kids are young and I like to keep it just immediate family, as they get older I will allow a few close friends. My brothers kids have HUGE parties just to get more gifts, they invite people with children that their kids have never even met. I do not understand it.

we don't have big parties, not our style. I don't want them growing up expecting bigger and bigger things. Both my girls have enough "stuff"

We have went to 2 4 year old parties already this year, they consisted of 2-3 bouncy castles, waterslide, loads of people...

just not for us

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married 8 years to a crazy Brit, mommy to a banana, she is 4 and a pineapple who is 1 year, mommy to 3 ~angel~ babies

check out the RAK contest! http://mommysavers.com/boards/random...s-contest.html

We don't do the big parties either. This year dd who is 5 asked to have her party at the little gym where she has gymnastics so we did that and invited some from her class there. That's the only big one we have had for any of the kids. I don't think kids that young really care one way or the other.

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Wife to GT
Mommy to Katie, Miller, Savannah, and JJ

Ours have always been just us and our other children. We have never lived near other family. I don't let my kids have kid parties until they turn 6 years old, and then it is only a few kids.

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~Happiness is a large family~

Not us! We had a family only party (grandparents/aunts&uncles/cousins) for his first birthday but only because it was EXPECTED of us. For his second, we went to each grandparents house and just let them do what they wanted to for him.

I don't plan on having "friends" parties, until he's old enough to know he wants friends there.....which as of now I think will be around kindergarten age. In two years he has already had quite a few invitations to "friends" parties. I am so surprised by that! I just think they are too young....

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Mom to Ryan ('06)