The Most Boring Birthday Ever

With Bryn's birthday at the beginning of August, we have tried to find the best time to host a party for him and his friends. We usually have it with family on (or close to) his actual day, and when he was little, we would have a small party with preschool friends and such. But as he entered school, we found that date didn't work for many of his friends. Sure, we'd have about four kids from his class come, and that was great, but it never seemed to work with the ones he wanted to come the most. So we tried hosting at the end of the month, but still not too many were able to make it as families were putting in their end-of-summer trips.

This year we decided to just do his party in September!

We put it off until mid-to end, just so families could settle into the back-to-school routine, and to get to know the classmates, but then as time was going by I realized that I had almost forgot to plan it!  Bryn wanted to have a pool party, and Hunny was all over that idea! I tried suggesting a few ideas for a party (spy training, or even a geo cache party sounded like fun) but the pool won out! So much easier to plan, and doing an at-home party wasn't necessarily going to be any cheaper than to pay a company to host. I could see the point, but I was convinced I could do a cheap Geo Cache one! Maybe next year!

Bryn wasn't able to keep his "friends" list small, so we paid to have 20 children at W.C. Blair Rec Centre, which gives you one hour in the pool with an Instructor and one hour at a table where you can bring your own cake in and food, and snacks. But in the end, there was just 8 friends who came. (some couldn't come, and some didn't even bother responding. So I don't know if they lost the invitations and the parents didn't even see them, or they couldn't go to the party anyways and so didn't think to tell me. Oh well. It always seems bizarre to me to not let a host know...but it makes me wonder if I have ever done that. Not giving a response usually means a "no", right?)  I have decided that is the perfect number of kids to come to a party! Plus, since we had less than 12 children, the pool gave us a refund of $49. That was nice!

 
The boys were eager to be in the pool, and so we sat at the table, just chatting and waiting. Hunny said it was the "most boring birthday party ever!" We didn't have anything to do! We just sat. It felt strange to not have to entertain kids or plan anything! We enjoyed this! It was by far the easiest party we've done as well!

(they filled balloons in the hot tub, then went and played toss with them! That was a favourite part of the party!)

 

And all of the boys loved it!  They played some games with Samantha, and as soon as they arrived back at our table, they wanted to know if they could go back into the pool! We made them eat something first, and have cake and let Bryn open gifts. That took all of ten minutes! These boys were serious about swimming!  

 (Abi decorated the cake for me. She had fun! She says that she made the face to look like Bryn...we laughed that she should start her own business decorating cakes!)

The parents were to come by 8:30pm, but all of the boys were still in the pool, so we sat together and visited for a while. In fact, we weren't even done and in our truck until 9:15!  I think it is so great that the pool lets the kids go back into the water even after your scheduled party. (I do think they like you to have the area cleaned up in time though, just in case there is another party, or to give others room to sit.) It's sometimes frustrating to have to get your kid out of a pool, but it is nice to know that they aren't going to kick you out! Some places that offer birthday parties want you to leave (or sit waiting) as soon as your time is up.

This turned out to be the easiest party and we would definitely do it again! I'm so glad that we got to celebrate Bryn's eighth birthday with a party finally, and that the friends he was hoping for got to come this time! (well, most of them!)