Our family doesn’t do giant birthday parties or multiple events (nuclear family party, extended family party, friend party, school party, party-party) for the same birthday, but we do a small bit of decor to recognize the day. Once, we put ribbon curtains in the bedroom doorways. Another year, we put helium balloons all over each child’s bedroom ceiling on their birthdays. The year the local Party City was closed, we covered their bedroom floors with balloons. Last year, we added a disco light to balloons on the floor and ceiling.

This year, we have a balloon hunting cat. Westley will fearlessly stroll from balloon to balloon, casually popping each and every one. Why he does this is less confusing than why he isn’t afraid of the loud popping noise. The dogs flip out after every pop. So, we decided that balloons might not be a good idea until the cats are little older and less naughty. This became the year of disco light and piñata birthdays.

The youngest child turned nine and smashed his piñata into a billion tiny pieces while also destroying two walking sticks in the process. The tween who turned twelve, hit her piñata until it broke slightly open, then proceeded to wear the piñata remnants as a hat for the entire day. The man-child who turned 18, carefully peeled back the opening that was used to fill the piñata and proceeded to carefully remove a single bite of candy daily. This went on for so long that I was starting to believe he would be the only college freshman checking in a dorm with a piñata, but after a month, he carefully fished out the remaining candies and put the unbroken piñata atop the trashcan.

Westley the cat immediately removed the tissue and foil piñata fringe and scattered said decor allll over the house.