Kids & Vinyl Tableclothes

I'm not a fan of vinyl tablecloths, but I use them.  I use them because they help create decoration in my kitchen, and a conversation piece for my 21 month old son.  If we're in between seasons or holidays, I use a plain green and yellow bamboo vinyl tablecloth.  However, this week I've changed the theme: Birthday

It's not my sons birthday, since he's only 21 months old.  It will be my husbands birthday soon and I felt like being in the party mood early.  So last week I set the table up with the birthday themed vinyl tablecloth.  This tablecloth has balloons, slices of cake, cupcakes with candles, and presents.  My son enjoys looking at the pictures and will even tell me the candles need to be blown out.  He tries to do it himself.  It's quite funny to watch him blow the fake candles out.

Dirtday Ardy!

That's what he says as he's pointing to the table.  He cannot wait for the real deal with his Daddy.  I practice singing the Birthday song and sometimes he enjoys it, other times he tries to get down from his booster chair and run away.  I think he thinks I'm singing the song to him as I sing happy birthday to you, which really I'm referring to his Daddy.  I tell him that it will be his birthday soon.  He seems excited at the thought, but when the day actually is here, I'm sure he'll be interesting.

My son also likes to pull at our tablecloth or lift it up to see what is hidden underneath.  So there are rules to having a tablecloth, which I didn't intend on having, but it has become essential.  I then realized it may be good to have these rules for when we are out at a restaurant (HA-when and if we go), or to a friend or families house, it's important to understand we do not need to disassemble the kitchen table.  I guess it goes along with my other belief on child-proofing.  Or maybe this is just how things have been working with my son.  When #2 comes around, my theories may change.  What do you think?