Knowing we were getting the pool installed before their birthday, I'd been nudging them to have a backyard party for a long time. Since they didn't know abotu the pool, they weren't sure it'd be much fun. Finally they agreed to it and eventually found out about the pool when it got put in.
Since they're only in 2 different classes this year instead of 3, I thought it would be ok to invite all the girls in each of their classes. That's what the singletons normally do and since we were going to be at home, it wouldn't be much extra expense or trouble right? Except that I forgot that their classes this year have 13 girls in them intstead of the usual EIGHT!!! This didn't dawn on me til I was making the invitations and got them to write down all the names. I had the brilliant idea of making the invites look like marshmallows roasting on a stick since we were doing a bonfire/pool party. Cute right? Yes they were! Well the first few were cute and then it got late and I got tired but had to finish them up because there are lots of girls with June birthdays and I didn't want our invites going out last! As it turned out, Honey brought home an invite from another girl in her class for the same day as ours! Luckily it was earlier in the day and they were able to attend each other's parties. So by midnight I had a mess on the table, skewers everywhere, chalk dust up to my eyeballs but all invites prepped and ready to go. Unfortunately, when you create and assemble things at midnight, your proofreading skills are not at their peak. I sent in invites with requests to RSVP to a non existent email address. There was also a phone number and I sent a correction the following day but not all of them got to their intended destinations :S
I jumped in the shower to get ready for the party and got out just before the first guests arrived (early!) and then it was a tidal wave from there! They just kept coming!!! I think we ended up with 22 or 23 kids all tolled. They girls invited one boy, the only one that's not immature and always doing gross stuff. His mom said he didn't mind being the only one and he seemed to fit right in no problem!
Luckily I had lots of helpers on hand and all stations were manned. We divided them up into groups according to who had invited them and then rotated each group through the different stations. Pool/bonfire-s'mores-hotdogs-snacks/slip & slide-water balloon fight/present opening/facepainting. Eventually they'd all been through each section and still had some time left even after we'd had the cake so they ran around the yard chasing the teen helper I'd hired, Katie, or back in for another swim or bouncing on the trampoline. If the noise level was any indication, they were having a good time!
After it was all over, I asked the girls if they'd had fun and they looked at me and exclaimed "Mum, that was the
best party EVER!!!" It was so nice to hear that all the prep and efforts had been appreciated! All week long I'd worried about the weather. We'd had a good stretch of warm weather, had already used the pool lots and then the week of the party, the clouds descended. The forecast was calling for rain on Saturday until about Thursday. I had no idea what I was going to do with all those kids if we had to do the party indoors. Three hours of a potential 27 kids shrieking and running through the house?!?!?! I didn't even know WHAT to do with that concept! I fretted and ate icing until the forecast changed to sun. (but still ate icing!). Unfortunately it didn't warm up the pool much so the swimmers didn't last too long but they were able to get in and splash around for awhile.
When the parents came back 3 hours later, they had a hard time getting the kids rounded up to go so I take that as a good sign!
It was a great day & we are so thankful to all the helpers that got everything ready and made sure the day ran smoothly!!!
