Largely uneventful. You'd think I'd be better at this by now, but whatever. DH didn't go to get tables until an hour before the party started, so I was on my back taping plastic tablecloths down 20 minutes before people were supposed to get there. I pulled in with the balloons just after the first guest arrived.
It doesn't help that I basically can't set anything up ahead of time, because Dexter will destroy it if given more than a microsecond of opportunity.
We had a good showing. Probably about 20 people in all, adults and children. I had gotten a Qdoba taco bar for 25. Probably half of it was left over. Which isn't horrible, because I like tacos, but it was hella expensive, and I would have been happy to buy much less food. (that's what I get for waiting until the last second on food. oh well.)
The party was crazy. Thankfully, it was warm enough for kids to go run outside and play on the swingset and slides. I think it would have been insane if it was all inside (like I thought it would have to be).
It started slow, but once we started gifts and cake and everything, ti zoomed by. Des got some really cute gifts. I am having a bit of trouble coming up with a storage plan for some of the larger ones. Probably time to move out some of the baby stuff and make room.
Here's one thing - the older kids (basically ages 2-6) crowded right around us while we were trying to open the presents. I mean swarmed him. Some were yelling, pushing presents in his face to open next. Eventually, they started opening presents for him. I thought that was really obnoxious. Dexter was among them, sadly. His father was busy taking pictures (at my request), and I was trying to help Des. But everyone else had supposedly-attentive parents there just watching the chaos unfold.
I mean, I get that kids get excited, but opening the birthday boy's presents seems, to me, to cross a line, even if he is not technically capable of doing it himself.
Eventually, Des got overwhelmed with the crowding and I had to ask each kid to scoot back a few feet so he could breathe.
Then we did cake. Des did a good job smashing his, including just bending over and sticking his face in it. Very cute.
Eventually, everyone left. MIL helped me clean up a little. I forgot to hand out the goodie bags, which is annoying, since it now is just a total waste of time and money.
Anyway, I'm glad it's done. Hoping to get TY cards ordered before we leave today so I can have them and send them out as soon as we get back.
I am very glad I won't be doing this for anohter 10.5 months. And I'm thinking maybe Monkey Joe's or something for that.
