Photo by: B. Vanderbrook

A Half Birthday Party: Play by Play

Photo by: B. Vanderbrook

Half birthdays are the same amount of work as regular ones. Miss N’s party was a hit yesterday. She is 8 1/2. Her normal birthday is on Christmas. We, the family, honor her turning a year older on her actual birthday. Since it is ridiculous to do a kid’s party on or around Christmas and expect anyone to show up, we celebrate her half birthday in the summer.

Here is how the day went:

9:00am – Overslept. Immediately start laundry and get into the shower.

10:30 am – folded 2 loads of laundry. Finally make it downstairs. Quickly check email and start cleaning immediately

1:30pm – finish cleaning with Miss C.. Go upstairs to put away laundry.

2:00pm – ran to grocery store. Pick up cake, take-n’-bake pizzas, snacks for parents and ice cream plus bread, milk, and mac and fried chicken. Run home.

3:15pm – groceries put away, we are ravenous and snack on fried chicken (a rarity- I never buy fried anything…) Hop on the computer and relax until the party begins.

4:00pm – the first kid arrives and 6 more quickly follow.

4:15pm – manicures

5:00pm – Pizza (thanks from help from Ryan)

5:25pm – Pinata. Miss N. cries because she did not break it on the first try. Miss N. is sent to her room even though it is her party.

5:35pm – Pinata still not broken. All kids went twice. Miss N. comes back down, composed and cracks it on last turn.

5:36 pm – Pinata is totally broken by Miss C. There is a mad rush for candy, stickers and cheap plastic toys. Some kids make out better than others…. To prevent crying, arguing, bartering or other, I immediately announce “Sprinkler!”

5:40 pm – everyone runs into the house to get on bathing suits.

5:45 pm – The girls run in the sprinkler, but the spray hose is more popular. Miss C. sets up another hose. Miss E. sprays Jason who is using the camcorder and my feet and legs. Miss E. gets timeout for not sharing the sprayer with the other kids and cries.

6:00pm – I finally get Miss E to stop crying and girls are starting to want to come in the house. OK time for cake! All the kids (except for one) run in to dry off. One keeps spraying the yard, even after I ask her to stop 3x. I go to the front of the yard and turn off the sprinklers.

6:15 pm – cake, sing happy b-day and grab a bowl. Ice cream social. Pick your ice cream! vanilla, fried ice cream or butter almond? (Miss N’s selections ). Pick your sauce! Fudge, caramel or strawberry? Pick your topping! Chocolate crunchies or sprinkles? Whipped Cream? yes, no? Cake? Yes, no?

6:21 pm – Why did I bother cleaning this morning?

6:30 pm – 2 kids spill sprite. I clean up one mess with a normal kitchen towel and they clean up the other. Miss C., informs me the towel used to clean up the 2nd mess, in my kitchen, was the same one she and my husband used to clean the toilet in the morning. This was the same towel the girls used to wipe their hands after washing before their manicures and before eating. Before I totally melt down I ask “Why was it still hanging in the bathroom if it was used to clean the toilet?” AND “why are guest towels being used to clean the toilet?” and “Why are you using that same towel to clean the kitchen? We have kitchen towels!”. As I am breaking down, she says “Oh wait, I used another towel”.

6:31 pm – kids are in sun room playing. Door closes – silence. Door opens – dull roar. I ask everyone to keep the door closed. Call husband who has left for work. As I dialing, I am preparing to disinfect the kitchen.

6:32 pm – conversation ensues regarding what towel was used to clean the toilet. After a heated conversation we are still not sure. I leave the conversation giving my husband firm instructions that only he or I are supposed to clean the toilets and what we should be using to clean the toilets (NOT guest towels). Miss C. is still insisting she used another towel but doubt lingers….

6:35 pm – find out where the spill in the kitchen was, spray the area in question with Lysol and wipe up with a clean cleaning rag.

6:36 pm – Is it 7:00 yet?

6:45 pm – the girls notice the goody bags. The first two ask what they are. I answer “goody bags – You get them when you leave.”

6:46 pm – 2 more girls ask me what they are. I give the same answer

6:48 pm – All the girls have asked what the bags are for. I give the same answer but a little shortly, curtly and with a shrill to the 2 that were unfortunate enough to have asked me last. I give Miss C firm instructions not to give out the goody bags.

6:49 pm – bathroom break.

6:51 pm – Miss C. has handed out the goody bags. This leads into an argument about not listening and the towel incident is rehashed.

6:55 pm – I am cleaning up goody bag stuff from the floor.

Is it 7:00 yet?

7:01 pm – the first parent arrives.

7:45pm – The last guests leave. Since I am too tired to do anything else, I put it off until today. Except laundry. I start to wash ALL of the towels. With hot water and bleach. – 8:11 pm – Collapse on the couch. Calculate what I spent, the time and energy involved and realize that I should have just had the birthday party at the roller skating rink or Chuck E. Cheese.

Today, Miss N. informs me that her friend Miss H. said it was the greatest party ever. I overhear Miss E. telling her best friend she is planning a birthday party with manicures, a pinata, a sprinkler and ice cream. OK- it was worth it. And I think by October I may be ready to do this again.

MaryBeth Isaac is a working mom of three kiddos – a teen, and 8 year old and a 6 year old. She is a mother first and foremost. She loves being a mom and sharing her passion for love of home, family and girlie stuff with others.

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