It’s the party season. You know the one… where all the kids are back in school and start making friends… and start inviting everyone to birthday parties. As much as I hate the party season (buying presents for kids I’ve never met, will never get to know, and will most likely never see again), I must admit that we are part of the conspiracy of invitations, gifts and thank-you notes.
If you follow me on twitter (@temysmom) you might be aware that I spent my entire night at the mercy of seven 8 year old girls. Yes, I was the one who approved (okay, even suggested) the slumber party. My 10 year old had her first slumber party when she turned 8 and my middle daughter had been looking forward to her 8th birthday ever since. I think 8 is a pretty good number for a first sleepover. By 3rd grade I figure if you haven’t learned how to separate from your parents for a night, you better start now before your friends start calling you a wimp, baby, loser, etc.
So my plan was simple. Pizza, Play, Cake, Presents, Craft, Movie, Bed, Breakfast, Home.
My intentions were good, my plans were good… just didn’t count on the fact that the girls had their own plans and failed to inform Mom about them.
So I bought 3 pizzas figuring each girl would have at least 2 slices. Wrong. Each girl had only one slice (and most didn’t even finish that one slice). So I ended up with two pizzas left over (maybe a little less… I might have had a slice or two, or three, or four… I don’t really remember).
| Amanda eating pizza. |
I bought a great cake - vanilla cake with chocolate mousse filling and buttercream frosting. Yum! Half the girls turned down cake in favor of plain vanilla ice cream. Seriously girls? You turned down cake? Damn…. more for me…. like I need anymore cake in my life!
| The “Cake” |
Crafts? I had bought a whole crapload of flip flops that the girls could decorate with silk flowers and gemstones. Nobody told me that most of the 8 year old girls would have feet bigger than mine! How is it that at 44, I have 8 year old girls with bigger feet than me?
| Decorating flip flops |
And then they wanted nail polish! Holy Stinky Bottle, Batman! Nail Polish! My house smelled like a nail salon with fingers and toes painted blue, green, orange, pink, red and some even copper and bronze. Give a girl a little nail polish and she’ll be happy all night.
| Nothing screams “Happy Girl” more than a bottle of nail polish. |
Movie and bed time? Hell no!
Next they wanted to darn their spy-gear (didn’t know we actually owned spy-gear) and go traipsing through the backyard with their flashlights in search of scary, creepy, crawly things. The screams were deafening. Sorry neighbors!
Yes, I finally got that movie put in and the sleeping bags rolled out and the lights turned off. And sometime around 2am I think the last girl closed her eyes. Yes, you read that right - 2AM!
| Birthday Girl and Friends |
I’m tired. Do you have a clue? Tired to the point that I’m afraid if I actually lie down in bed I might just sleep for the next 24 hours straight. I’ve decided I hate little girls. Okay, not hate exactly. I mean, I love MY little girls. But other people’s little girls need to be taken in small doses. Don’t gulp all at once.
It’s over. For now. I have 2 more years until my last little girl turns 8. Maybe I’ll be recovered enough by then to suggest a slumber party for her birthday!
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Oh Carolyn,
You are so, so lucky to have little girls that you can relate to and paint nails with and do girlie stuff.
Even though you had it so well-planned, it still sounds like it went very well. At least there were no accidents or requests for an early departure.
So, sounds like a success.
You deserve the 'Mommy of the Year' award for taking on such a venture.
By the way, I love the flip flop customization idea; wish I was there.
One of these days I'm gonna hop a plane to NC and we'll stay up all night and decorate flip flops.
Should I make hotel reservations for 2 years from now?
I think you did an amazing job. And Amanda looks very happy. I remember those parties where at least one person would have a little snit fit and then before I knew it my birthday girl would be crying. Good job!!!
Looks like FUN! Seriously. I love slumber parties, even though they don't always stick to plan. We love to decorate t-shirts and have "spa" night. I've found when they "make" their own pizzas (whether on English muffins or on mini doughs), they tend to eat more. I'd like to do your flip-flops, though. Thanks!