Birthday Party

Even though Brendan’s birthday is in December, we finally had his birthday party today. He invited 3 friends to come over. They skated on our rink in the back for a little while before having a hot dog lunch. The ice on the rink is in rough shape as the weather has been really warm here so there are holes in the ice and dirt is poking through in some spots. I think the boys still enjoyed themselves.

After lunch we gave the boys a brown paper lunch bag, marker and stickers to decorate their goodie bags. This is an idea we read about a few years ago and have been pleased to use it for our kids’ birthday parties ever since. The kids love to get a bag that they have shown their creativity on.

And then there are 2 staple birthday games that are requested every year. Pop the Balloon and Unwrap the Present. For Pop the Balloon Bruce and I come up with things the kids can do, like 10 jumping jacks, singing a song, who’s your favourite superhero, etc. - things that are age and gender appropriate. We put the slips of paper with the instructions into the balloons and the kids go down the hall where all the balloons are, pick a balloon, bring it back to the living room, pop it, read the instructions (or have an adult read it for them) and then do what the instructions say. We usually have a few balloons per kid including 2 balloons that say to go pick another balloon and 2 saying pick a prize. This is the first time where Brendan picked both balloons with the prize.

Then we played unwrap the present. I spent about 3 hours last night wrapping a DVD many, many times. We put one of Brendan's favrourite CD's on (No More Mr. Nice Guy by Pat Boone) and while the music is playing the boys passed the present. I had to tell them it was like a hot potato because they kept holding onto the present. The reason why they were holding onto it is because when the music stops whoever is holding the present gets to unwrap it until the music starts up again. When the kids were younger, we used to play where when the music stopped whoever was holding the present could unwrap one layer, but since the boys are older, we changed the rules. After the first few layers I heard, “Oh! I think we’re at the present!” and then “Oh no! Another layer!” I even used bubble wrap for one layer. *lol* Two of the boys are twins, so they were holding the present together when the music was off and they both unwrapped the DVD. I think they were happy that they both won.

So since the twins were going home with a prize, we asked Brendan if he would mind giving one of his “Pick a Prize” prizes to his other friend; which he did very willingly.

After we had birthday cake, we set up the four computers that we arranged to have networked together in our house so the boys could play Combat. It was hilarious listening to them try to blow each other up. We tried to tape a little of it, but I don’t think watching the recording will do justice to see how much fun they were really having.

Then it was time for the boys to go home, we gave them their goodie bags, and all was peaceful again. I’m not sure, but I think this may be the first year that we actually remembered to send all the goodie bags home with the kids. In the past we have forgotten and then had to track the kids down later to give them their bags.

All in all it was a good party. Brendan said it was one he would never forget. I figure that means we’re good until Christmas. And I’m so thankful to everyone who helped us make it possible. We had people lend us skates and a computer. Bruce did some consulting on the phone to get the network working so the computers would talk to one other. And Shaeleigh was able to go out with her Godmother and have fun without being overrun by her brother’s friends. I am also glad there was still some ice left in the backyard. Now the snow can melt all it wants.