When Natalie LeClaire of Kingston, Ontario, found a birthday invitation in her son's lunchbox earlier this month, she couldn't resist sharing it on TikTok because it just so happened to be "the funniest thing" she'd read -- or so she explained to "Good Morning America."
"I started reading it and I was shocked. My jaw just hit the floor reading this insane birthday invitation," the mom of two recalled. "It made me so happy to see a family be so real and just raw and totally honest."
LeClaire's TikTok post, first shared on June 10, has since gone viral with over 5 million views.
The invitation in question was written by Carys Ruth Roberts, a fellow mom from Kingston, who told "GMA" she'd taken a longer time choosing the decorations on the invitation instead of typing out the hilarious paragraphs for her twin daughters' upcoming birthday party.
Roberts' invitation for her kids' party read, "You are invited to Elle and Edie's 5th birthday party. This event is brought to you by Pinterest fails and the dollar store so please set your expectations appropriately. As requested the theme will be 'unicorns but with rainbows and maybe bats but there should be princesses and also Minnie and we need dancing lights' So….dress accordingly….please pack a bathing suit, sunscreen, puddle jumpers etc in case your sweet baby angels decide our original plan sucks and the pool would be a better time. If you would like to drop off and run, we support that entirely. If you would like to stay, we will provide 'adult juice' and deny any offers to help to be polite but deep down want the support. You do you."
Roberts included her address and also added a line at the end detailing how to pronounce her name and her husband's name, because, as Roberts explained to "GMA," "my name is Carys, nobody knows how to say this name. So, I always have to say 'rhymes with Paris.' And then my husband is Ryan, 'rhymes with Brian.'"
MORE: Mom's video about once being a 'fun person' has moms feeling seen"I knew immediately, reading that, that that mom and me were totally going to be friends because we are just on the same wavelength," LeClaire said of Roberts' invitation. "We're just practically reading each other's minds about what we actually want in a birthday party."
"I think my absolute favorite part is the part where they say … 'Drop off and run,' which I also relate to. That one I really appreciate because there's so many times you go to a birthday party, you're like, 'Do I have to stay? Can I come back in like two hours?'" LeClaire said. "They said, 'Stay or go if you want.' And my second favorite part was when they said how to pronounce their names."
LeClaire said Roberts seemed to voice the thoughts she herself had thought previously when it came to children's get-togethers and events.
"They're saying the quiet part out loud. They're saying the part that every parent wants to say but can't because of the social expectation of what you should say, and I'm just not about that," LeClaire said. "I'm about saying what I want to say and what makes me comfortable."
LeClaire said she appreciated Roberts' laid-back approach to her girls' summer celebration, one she said her 5-year-old son Evan, who is classmates with Elle and Edie, was "very excited" to attend.
Roberts said LeClaire was the first parent to send in an RSVP, one that matched the style and tone of Roberts' invitation.
"I said, 'I would like to formally accept the invitation to the very prestigious birthday party for the sweet Elle and Edie. Evan cannot wait to come and play with bats, princesses, Minnie and of course, the dancing lights. I'm Natalie, rhymes with Matalie,'" LeClaire said.
MORE: Mom's funny TikTok shows why baby's spaghetti night falls on dad's turn for bath timeRoberts' identical twin daughters will both turn 5 on July 17 and she said the girls have been talking about their upcoming party "since last year." The mom of two anticipates their birthday party will be a fun-filled affair that might be equal parts chaotic and the best time.
"This is the be-all, end-all of their lives," Roberts said.
She added, "We're pretty low-key and don't think that this is gonna be epic, by any means. It is supposed to be just kids screaming and we'll provide food and we will make sure they don't die. That's the No. 1 goal. Aside from that, we just kind of aim for medium and hope for the best."
Now that Roberts and her daughters' invitation has gone viral, she and LeClaire said they're hoping to provide some updates for TikTokkers who may be following along.
"I think we might do like a prep for the party Tok, if you will," Roberts said. "We'll definitely get some footage of whatever this party turns out to be now. I think it's anybody's guess, at this point."
As for other parents thinking about planning a future birthday party, Roberts said she would be the last person to ask for advice, but offered a down-to-earth perspective.
"Be authentically yourself in an invitation, I think is the No. 1 takeaway. And even when you're aiming for very low, just be open-minded that you may have to drastically change your plans to impress people you don't know," she said.
Meanwhile, LeClaire suggested parents don't stress out about the main event.
"I don't want parents to feel like they can't throw a big birthday party, like it would be bad or anything. I just think the expectation should maybe shift a little bit into that we can have these simple dollar store Pinterest-fail birthday parties, and that's OK," LeClaire said. "Give them what they want, which is fun bubbles and dollar store toys. They love that stuff. Just do what makes you happy, but don't overdo it and don't expect that that's the default."
