Happy Birthday and May the Force be With You...

So we had the big birthday party today and you know what? It was fun! Sure, it was pure torture GETTING to the party but all in all the party was a HUGE success. Oh, so you want to know why there was torture involved? Let me tell you...

I went to pick up the cake this morning and they could not FIND the cake for like ten minutes. Why? Because they did not put it under my LAST name as most normal places do, but under my first name. The cake was awesome, though. But while I was shopping and running errands, I called home to remind Frank and the boys to get lunch going and asked that they throw in some pizza for me. So I happily get home and was feeling pretty jazzed that things were running so smoothly. I asked if lunch was ready, and it was, except...there was none for ME! Oh yes. My teenager "forgot" to make lunch for me - even though I called fifteen minutes earlier to ask him too.

After the lunch fiasco we finish getting ready and load up the car with all of our party supplies and head off to the bookstore. Half of the place got set up last night but the rest had to be done today. First I realized that I forgot the drinks. So Frank drove home to get them. Nick was supposed to be helping me set up all of the gaming stations but seemed to forget how to use his hands AND his ears. The Playstation was set up in the movie station, the blaster game, apparently, could not be set up at all...I mean, I had planned this party down to the smallest detail and all of a sudden it looked like we would be sitting around in a circle telling ghost stories! So I had to figure out how to connect the blaster game (but made the boy actually do it), I got the movie going and then all that was left was the Playstation which he swore could not be plugged in because the chord was too short - he missed the outlet that was three inches away from the TV. THEN - because clearly I have not had enough - he says that the game system won't work because he is missing a cable. So we make him go home to fetch the cable. Fifteen minutes later he calls and asks us to check all of the connections again. Now Frank is mad, I'm ready to cry and the boy is looking at around another year of punishment. Frank leaves to go home because he cannot understand what Nick is talking about and clearly has to go home to find the necessary cable himself. In the meantime, I get the game going. There was no missing cable - all that needed to be done was someone needed to his the RESET button on the game!!!!

Deep cleansing breaths.

By the time the kids arrived I was ready for a strong drink and a pound of chocolate. I didn't get either one. But boy-oh-boy, the look on Michael's face this afternoon was wonderful. The kids pretty much all took turns on the games, they dueled with Lightsaber's and just seemed to have a great time. One awkward moment - one of the mom's came with her son (who was invited) and a slightly older child (who was not invited). She said that her son was not comfortable with her leaving and while I understand that, her older, uninvited son was controlling one of the game stations and refusing to let the actual GUESTS play. I mean, we've all been there where you have parents that stay at your child's party and sometimes have a sibling there but for the love of it, isn't it just a wee-bit RUDE to just assume that your child can have the run of things and not correct him? I thought it was.

So the party was a big success and Michael said that it was the most amazing birthday party ever. I was pleased. He's still giddy now five hours after the party ended. I want to thank all of the kids who came and played and I especially want to thank my dear, dear friend Danette for making the entire place into a party wonderland for my boy. She is far more creative than I am and her generosity of her time (and love of balloons) really made this a special day for Michael. So I thank you and I love you!