Today was Rose Red's 7th birthday. Of course she wanted a party. Of course all 21 kids in her class, plus some family friends, were invited. Never mind that their dad had knee surgery four days ago or that I spent all week preparing for a job interview. Only half a dozen people RSVP'd that they would come. We had three tables at the park and a good weather forecast. What could go wrong?
The weather worked against us. After the coldest, wettest April and May on record everyone in the city was at the park. It was impossible to keep track of the kids in the crowd. We didn't have any particular activities planned to keep them close. Some of the more helicopter-inclined parents were unimpressed. Fortunately, there were alot of those to follow the kids around, since twice as many people showed up as responded. The grill we brought didn't work, and we had to rely on one of the guests (who keeps their camping gear in the car all summer just in case - how cool is that?) to make the food, which ran out before everyone got something to eat. Our table reservations ran out before we opened presents, and the cards got separated from the gifts in the car on the way home.
It was the most exhausting and dispiriting three hours in memory. Which is saying something. I think all the kids had fun, which of course is what really matters. But I think maybe seven years old is going to be our family cap on big fat birthday parties.
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