The Experimental Combined Party

This year I decided to try something new and combine EZ and Netta's birthday parties. I was thinking it would save me stress and money. Well it saved me money, but I am not so sure about the stress. After some convincing they both settled on having the party at one of those inflatable places called Texas Jumping Beans. We have been to quite a few parties there and everyone always has a blast. Well ours got off to a rocky start. When we got there a random friend of the owner was there to open up and nothing was inflated. It was a good 20 minutes before an actual employee showed up. So we all got to stand around for awhile waiting for them to get their act together. Then things got a little crazy when way more people showed up then had RSVP'd. I was surprised at how many families brought extra children that weren't invited and how many had both parents stay. There is a limit to how many kids are included with the party and I could have easily been charged another $50, but luckily since they were so unorganized with no one there to check people in at the beginning they didn't charge me any extra. So I guess on the plus side, the two stressers saved me money. Of course we had to have two very different cakes: Beyblades and Dora. At one point I had contemplated making EZ's cake, but luckily my common sense won that debate and I left it to the pros. I didn't need any more craziness. 

What was really funny was how particular the kids were about what kind of cupcake they got. Heaven forbid a boy accidentally get a piece of the Dora cake. In fact, one of EZ's friends didn't like the vanilla Beyblade cupake he got, but at that point we only had chocolate Dora cupcakes left, so I gave him one and he literally had such a panic attack someone had to find his mom and get his inhaler. 

Amid all the chaos we kind of ran out of time to open presents, but EZ was insistent that he open his there so he quickly ripped through them as we were cleaning up. So classy. 

Netta on the other hand was having to much fun to worry about presents, so we ended up opening hers at home. I have never not opened presents at the party, but I was not going to add more stress trying to make it happen this time. 

In the end I was a bit overwhelmed, but both Netta and EZ had a blast and that is really what it was all about.