Sunday, 30 January 2011

The Birthday Party - never again!!


So yesterday we held out first ever 'proper' birthday party for Mister A. By proper I mean not just a family birthday celebration - this one had real live children from Mister A's nursery class. I know, I didn't actually believe it when people were telling me before hand that I was brave! How hard can it be?!

It seems that I was extremely naive in thinking that it would be easier (although A LOT more expensive) to host said party at the local soft play centre. Hmmm perhaps not! Firstly I have to say things are a lot different to the birthday parties I remember from my childhood - I'm pretty sure my mum used to just drop me off and make a run for the door. Apparently, 20 years on, things are slightly different and if you happen to host your party at a soft play centre then the parents have to stay and be responsible for their own child. Because of the lack of a parenting handbook when it comes to such matters I hadn't anticipated this and neither had my wallet when all of these parents became thirsty - never mind trying to remember the drinks order whilst still suffering from baby brain.

However, as all the children ran off to play, I realised that it was probably for the best that all the parents were still there because I had forgotten to apply the name badges to the children as they came in. Yes - I had thought well in advance and these  badges were meant as a way of tracking who was supposed to be with us and who wasn't - a good tip if I had actually remembered to do it!


Once all the children were playing I didn't know what to do with myself. Should I sit and talk to the mums, should I sit with the people that I had actually invited or should I stand and try and ensure that all of the children were okay?

Recently I have become quite shy (which is completely out of character for me) and so I did feel a bit intimated with the table full of parents that sat before me - maybe it's all the time I spend online - it's made me forget what real life is actually like! I ended up mingling for a little while before realising that I hadn't seen Mister A for at least 15 minutes



Panic kicked in - I searched with my eyes-  scanning the two separate play areas but he was nowhere to be seen so I grabbed Chris who decided it was probably best for him to 'go in' and search. Very convenient - I had been watching him stare longingly at the big slide for a good half hour. It was almost as though he had asked Mister A to hide just so that he could go in! Mister A was found almost immediately (very suspicious), he was firing canon balls at the other children (pic above).


After just over an hour (but what felt like 5) we were called through to the party area for the food. The children ate happily, red faced from all the running around and after the cake it was soon time to go home.

Phew!

It was THE most manic 2 hours of my life so far, I felt like a complete mad woman and it wore me out completely. I never realised how much it takes to get through a day like that, I say day because that's how long felt like! No one warned me how much planning has to go in to such small things as party bags either - and don't even ask about invite lists...

When I asked who he wanted to invite, Mister A reeled off an entire list of girls, he must be the Hugh Heffner of the nursery! After days spent trying to find out which boys he wanted to go I eventually had to ask the nursery for a list - otherwise yesterday would have been all pink and girly! 

Anyway it all went to plan - except for a couple of bumped heads and an over excited little boy that couldn't sleep despite running round for 2 hours chasing his friends.

A great day but at this moment in time I'm thinking that perhaps next year we'll just have a quiet little soiree in the comfort of our own home.


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Happy 4th Birthday to my wonderful Son.

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