An early birthday party

We don't really do birthday parties around here.  But Andrew had one when he was five, Lily had one when she was five, so it was Michael's turn.  With the older two, they were in their 3rd year of preschool with the same bunch of kids, so it was easy to just invite their best friends to our house for an old fashioned party.  But Michael is at a new school this year, and he is pretty much glued at the hip to his best friend Matthew and nobody else.

So what to do?

Have a joint birthday party with Matthew!  Matthew's birthday is 6 weeks before Michael's, so we planned the party for the weekend exactly in between their birthdays, invited the whole class, and split the cost.  

It was a bounce party at our gym.  Everything was included except for the party favors.  So it was easy and fun.  Our party hosts (we had 2), were fantastic at supervising the children and keeping them occupied when they weren't in the bounce house.  It went really really well.

And, yes, I am quite in shock that my baby is turning 5.  But that emotional retrospective will not come for a few more weeks, thankyouverymuch.

And some pictures...

Our party favors.  Each child went home with a bucket of chalk and an Angry Bird helium balloon.  I just wanted no candy...since we are right in between candy excesses from Valentine's Day and Easter.

Michael eagerly waiting for his friends.  He couldn't believe that they were going to bring him presents!  We are a little uneducated about birthday parties around here.

The cake.  Nothing fancy...but, hey.  It was included.  And delicious.

Our party hosts getting the kids ready to bounce in the gymnasium.

I don't think Michael ever left the bounce house.  And we were in the gym for an hour and 15 minutes.

Most of the other kids ran in and out of the bounce house.  They had fun playing tag, bouncing and throwing balls, dancing by the speaker.  The dads also had fun shooting hoops off in the corner.  Andrew had fun...but he had to leave for a basketball game before the party was over.  He's dressed like Deter from SNL (remember Mike Meyers?), because he'd come straight from lacrosse practice.  

The bounce house had climbing walls, punching thingies, a basketball hoop, and a slide...and of course lots of space to bounce.  Michael was in heaven.  His friend Matthew also stayed by his side for most of the bouncing part. 

 A blurry shot of the group

 A silly pose of the group.

 For the last 15 minutes of the gym time, the host got out a parachute and played games with them.  Who doesn't love a parachute?  The kids were so intent and well behaved during the whole party.  Very good listeners.  Very nice kids.

Popcorn!

 Going camping in their tent.  They told stories under the "tent"

 Finally it was back up to the party room for cake!  And lots and lots of drinks.

All in all, a success!  I am so grateful to my friend for agreeing to do a joint party.  I am way too cheap to do this kind of thing on my own.  When it was over, and the boys had passed out the party favors, Michael put on his coat and left.  I had to drag him back and remind him that it was HIS party, so he had to leave last.  Poor kid...with his lack of birthday party experience.  Hopefully he'll remember for his next birthday party...you know, when he turns 10.

(this every 5 years precedent means that I am going to have to do another party this year...Andrew turns 10 in November.  WTH???  2 parties in one calendar year.  WTH???  Andrew is turning 10???)