Our babies are now one-year old toddlers!
The party was a lot of fun - a lot of work - but fun. What it did show me, or remind me of rather, was how wonderful many of our friends are. I don't know how we could've done it without their help. They were absolutely WONDERFUL.
What added to the chaos was that we didn't have the party at our house, but at our friend's condo clubhouse. It worked out nice because there's no way we could've fit everyone in our house, but it made clean-up a bit of a hassle. Even though we requested 'no gifts,' I think every single person brought one (and most brought THREE), so there were many gifts to lug home; there was bits of cake, chips, and sandwich meat EVERYWHERE; many sodas got spilled; and then there was the whole production of packing up the babies and all their schtuff and getting them home.
My friend, C, went with me to Sam's earlier in the day to get all the food, cake, and drinks. We then unloaded everything at the clubhouse and did a bit of decorating. We went to TGI Friday's for lunch, then stopped at Famous to pick up some make-up (it's Lancome Bonus Time!). I rushed home for a quick shower, then we got the babies dressed, packed up the van, and headed over for the party.
Most everyone came. There were a few no-shows, but they were expected (isn't it always the same people that never show?). There were clusters all around the room of different friends (my side/his side), our families (again, my side/his side) - and every now and then the sides would mingle, exchange some polite conversation, then move back to their side of the room.
The kids were pretty good. SA and SJ got a bit fussy, but their nap got cut short, and with all the excitement around them, I think it got to be too much after awhile. The whole cake-eating experience wasn't as messy as I thought it would be. I had planned on giving them these big, whomping pieces to dive into, but RD gave each of them very small slivers (from the white side of the cake, instead of the chocolate), so the clean-up was minimal. They were having a good time and I got some good pictures, so I didn't complain. :)
Silly me - I had thought C and I could pack everything up and get the kids home on our own while the boys stayed back to clean. That all got shot to hell, but it worked out great. Whatever made me think she and I could lug all that back to the house on our own is beyond me! So I ran around cleaning up (with a lot of help from C!), while the guys loaded up our van, as well as their two cars with the presents, leftover food, and beer and soda. During this time there were still some extra hands around to keep the babies occupied.
Once we got home, got the kids to bed, and unpacked all the cars, RD and the guys went out for some drinks and I unwrapped all the gifts. I had been looking forward to it (I love presents!), but by the time I had cleaned up our kitchen and straightened things up somewhat, I was so tired it seemed more exhausting than anything. They got so many great toys and really neat clothes. I think I'm just going to pack away a lot of the toys until we move. There's just no where to put everything, and with us putting our house on the market next month (more about that later), I don't need to add to the clutter.
So all in all the party was a success. There were so many people hacking and sneezing...congested and watery-eyed, but of course they all had excuses (e.g., I'm not contagious...I was sick last week, this is just a cough...I don't have a fever, etc.). I won't get into my rant right now on how ridiculous I think it is for someone to go to a CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTY when they're sick!! ugh! It's not just my kids I worry about, but my friend, D, was there with her 5-week old daughter - the poor thing hung out in the corner the whole time (and left early) because of all the coughing going on. So I wouldn't be at all surprised if one or all of us gets sick within the next couple of days - actually, I expect it.
Now I'm trying to get the kids back on schedule. Funny how that works - after a big day, the next day is always hell. Naps are messed up, feedings...they're all wound up and crabby. It seems to take a few days to reprogram from all the stimulation I guess.
I'm going to try and put a dent in some cleaning. I might be back tonight to recap on all the house stuff (betcha can't wait! ha!).
Until next time...
