My favorite childhood memory consists of the birthday parties my parents gave me when I was about eight or nine years old. My school class had about twenty children init. When it came time to send the invitations, my mother said, "Just invite them all. They won't all come." Right? Wrong.

When the appointed day and time came, the doorbell didn't stop ringing. My mother hurriedly sent my father to the store to buy more hot dogs and buns.

My father was a baker, so naturally, I had the best birthday cakes in town. The cakes were decorated with a fairy tale theme such as Cinderella, The Old Woman Who lived In the Shoe and Mary Had a Little Lamb. The old woman's shoe and Cinderella's pumpkin coach were made from cake with lots of whip cream and butter cream frosting.

Yum yum!

The children ate and drank with gusto. Happy Birthday was sung with much laughter and glee. Presents were opened with much fanfare.

Next the children proceeded to the games. The games consisted of musical chairs, Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Drop the clothes pin in the Bottle.

For those too young to know these games, here is a brief description of each.

Musical Chairs

Two rows of chairs are placed back to back. There is one less chair than the number of players. While the music plays, players walk around the chairs. When the music stops, players must quickly find a chair and sit. The one left standing is out. The game repeats. More chairs are eliminated until there is one winner.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

A paper picture of a donkey is hung on a wall. Players receive a paper donkey tail. While blind folded, players must pin the tail on the donkey in the correct spot. The player who comes the closest wins.

Drop the Clothes Pin in the Bottle

For those of you who don't know what a clothes pin is, ask your mothers and grand mothers. Milk used to come in gallon glass bottles with a small opening on the top.

Players knelt on a chair facing the back of the chair. The milk bottle was on the floor in front of the chair. Players had to drop the clothes pin into the bottle from a certain height. The player with the most pins in the bottle won a prize.

These games would sound boring to today's generation of kids. However, to my generation, they were fun and a big treat.

Throughout the afternoon, children screamed, balloons burst, and streamers flew. I don't know how my parents managed to deal with so many kids running all over the house.

If it wasn't for their love and patients, I wouldn't have this favorite childhood memory to tell you about.