well as some of you know...both my boys are having their birthday parties this weekend...ds #2 on saturday and ds #1 on sunday...ds #2 is having his at out local Zehrs...booked the chef...so the plan is that they go in there...make pizza from scratch...chocolate or vanilla cupcakes...chocolate, strawberry or vanilla milkshakes...all i gotta do is decorate...if i feel like it...no clean up for me...then on sunday ds #1 is having his party at home...13 friends from school...6 cousins...2 aunts...2 uncles...atleast one pair of grandparents...and that one i gots tons to do...it's a ''football'' theme party...why he wanted football i have no idea...but cuz i'm such a fabulous mom...he'll get what he wants...it's the one time a year i give the ungrateful lil turd his way :D ...so all the work i have to do is on sunday...so i've got....
12 car tires..for races
footballs comin' out the ying yang
nachos and cheese
burgers and dogs
ain't no thang like a chicken wing!!
chips...popcorn...cheesies...can't have a party without cheesies
NO POP...i refuse to give kids cans of pop when they are at my house...cuz that stuff costs money and i freak out when i see half cans left laying around or cans in my grass...so lots and lots of juice and water...don't like it!!!...go thirsty i don't care...boy i'm fun at parties aren't i!!! :D
i've got a paper football craft that they can do
swimming in the pond...my 2 16 year old neices are lifeguards...they just don't know it yet...but they'll be ok with that cuz they love their aunt jenjen :D
so anyone got any ideas or suggestions for me?????
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Sounds like 2 great parties - ENJOY!
my only comment about opening the presents is that I always take my child to the store and have them pick out what their friend would like ( within a reasonable price) and I always get so upset when my child comes home from the party and that gift was never opened or acknowledged.....I feel slightly annoyed.....we took the time to buy the present.... at least give the courtesy to open it .....my child was very excited to give it and I think they would feel rewarded to see that person be happy when opening it...........when the kids were small and sharing was more difficult ...I agree that opening the presents created problems...but once they are older....I think it is totally appropiate to open gifts with their friends watching.................. :D
i've decided to let the party determine the present thing...the party is from 12-3 pm...so if we can make time for it and get them all settled then if he wants he can open them...i'll leave it up to him...thank you for everyones ideas...i really like the idea of taking the picture with the friend as they open the present...and making that the thank you note...thanks for the idea
you took my anal remark so seriously, but I think you really need to let kids be kids.
Parties are chaotic, messy, fun that are remembered. The best parties are laid back, the kids are guided not controlled.
Opening presents can be fun, a game of spin the bottle or pass the present (much like musical chairs) keeps the guests happy. Have a large garbage or recycle bin near by and collect the wrappings as DS opens them.
I think a phone call or a little hand written thank note from your son is the appropriate way to thank each guest. Why not take a pciture of each guest with your son at the birthday and include it in the thank you. No pre-printed cards, tacky and presumptuous!
As a mom I have seen my sons come home and when I ask "Did ___ like the present?" and they say " I dunno, ___ didn't open it". They are totally disappointed.
it's less to do with the mess...more to do with 13 kids opening up everything...and my dorky kid let 'em
yea you love me...my foot!!!!....you're always insulting me then kissin' me....better becareful Mel...i think i'm starting to enjoy it :biglol:
Yeah...first when I read that about the presents...I honestly thought you were NUTS!! But then, as I read the other responses in this thread...I began to understand the logic behind it...and it makes sense to me now.
As for you being ANAL...we've all known that for quite some time... :biglol: :biglol:
PS....I LOVE YOU JENNY POO!!!!
[QUOTE=sparkplug]until after their friends have gone because of the mess?? Oh please ... they're kids, they want to see what your DS got. Have your DS open them outside --
Have a green bag ready for the wrappings and let them see the gifts. Kids like to see what the birthday person got. They are just little guys and that is part of their fun.
If you plan on recycling the paper/ribbons then be there and fold it as each gift is opened. I can see you not wanting the gifts to be played with at the party as things do get lost. So put them away until after the party.
The thank you's could be in the form of a phone call later from the birthday boy. Notes pre printed in gift bags is not very personal. JMHO. :)
well look at that...i guess were ALL anal :D
jeep, and kids have sat while the birthday child opens the gifts at my kids parties and i have always thought they must be bored out of thier minds. What i did when the girls were young, i let them open thier gifts and nothing was played with until all friends were gone home, this way nobody was left out and no fights about who was playing with what and the attention was back on all the kids and the party. So jenjen, i dont think your idea of waiting is out of this world. :)
smiles
janetc
I always found that the gift opening was a stress part fro the kids what if one gift is better than the others or the kids think it is silly thing. That has happened and they all laughed at the gift ( you know kids) and the little boy that brought the gift started to cry it was awful. I would have him call the next day and thank each person as well as the card.
Ok just checking... Its always the first thing on my party shopping list too!!! LOL
good Lord woman...you should know me by now that that was the FIRST thing i bought :D
Oh another idea make sure there are cocktails ( BEER) for the parents/adult guest.....
excellent point...sittin' still...do they even know how to do that :D
LOL I totaly agree, also back to this present opening thing...
At weddings the bride and groom dont open their presents at the wedding mostly becuae it would be boring for the guest to sit and watch them open them all. And how much fun are bride or baby showers sitting watch someone else open gifts BORING... and we are adults ( and for me personaly I cant sit still that long to sit and watch someone open 30 or 40 gifts) So why on earth would people think its a good idea to try and make kids sit still to watch someone else besides them get presents. JMHO
Oh and being anal when it comes to and an event is a good thing in my mind, I do it for a living and people call me anal all the time, it just means i have thought of everything they wouldnt have...LOL
good idea CG...and atleast i now know that if i'm anal...i'm in good company ;)
you can make it a bit of an activity with the cups, give them pens, markers, ect and maybe stickers and have them decorate the cup so the wont want anyone else touching it and they wont lose it if they have taken the time to decorate it and make it their own.
Oh and being anal when it comes to and an event is a good thing in my mind, I do it for a living and people call me anal all the time, it just means i have thought of everything they wouldnt have...LOL
my Sharpie is ready jan...LOL
oh and i'm gonna assume that's a joke
I know how you feel about the wasted cans of pop. The half consummed glasses of juice p.o. me too so I write the kid's name on their paper cup.
they ALL come like that now...i've never had anyone come witout a gift and they say thanks for coming to my party...nothing about a gift
until after their friends have gone because of the mess?? Oh please ... they're kids, they want to see what your DS got. Have your DS open them outside -- don't be so anal!
The thank you note in the gift bag is tacky, what if someone doesn't bring a present? Let your son open the gifts and thank the givers in person!!
Get a real pinata, let them wear off some energy by whacking it. The ribbon thing is way to girly.
Trust me I'm a mom of 3 boys!!
did you know that you don't smash pinata's anymore?....i know what fun is that....now they have i think it's 13 ribbons attached to the door...but only one magical ribbon opens the lil door...i guess too many parents were gettin' whacked with the stick...LOL :biglol:
CG i forgot about the party place in Port...k gotta check it out...i like the longest pass idea and the target...thanks...
yea my neices are pretty good..they're pretty mature for 16 and i know they will take it seriously...they're good girls..besides my brother and sister are gonna be there so they won't let them mess around
yep lots of chairs...no shortage here...actually DianaT gave me the idea about the drink thing...i'm gonna get a couple round galvanized tins from the local co-op fill 'em with ice and leave the drinks in that..should it rain which i don't think they are calling for i'll toss them into the basement...shouldn't be as bad as last year...last year it did rain and both the boys had their party together...yea 28 kids in one room...NOT A GOOD IDEA...i was on downers for a WEEK!!!....but i didn't think about the extra clothes thing...good idea...
thanks guys...keep 'em coming...the party is from 12-3 pm so the more i got for the them to do the better...makes the time pass quicker...
oh and i have a rule about not letting the boys open their presents while all their friends are still here...is that wrong...i just find that it creates a mess...everyone wants to take everything outta the package and things get lost and then i don't know who gave what ...know what i mean...i do put pre-printed thank you cards in the loot bags tho...does that make up for it??
too was going to suggest a pinata....but hang it so they barely reach, will keep them busy for hours :laugh: and i like smoodgies idea.......head to the mall! :biglol: this time of the year is brutal.......i cant believe the birthday parties and grad parties, school trips and the list goes on and on...........and on top of this trying to plan holidays :hairpull: good luck on your weekend, im sure you will be glad when sunday night comes
smiles
janetc
Yeah, I've got a suggestion -- sneak off to the mall when nobody's looking and spend the day shopping!! :D
Wow, you're a brave lady, jenjen!! The lifeguards at the pond is a great idea -- just make sure your nieces take the job seriously.
How about a few bags of ice for people who like their juice & water cold?? Do you have chairs for everyone?? A back-up emergency plan, in case, god forbid, it rains?? Maybe tell people to bring extra clothes in case they get tossed into the pond or splashed by overly-enthusiastic kids....
Ummm maybe a pinatia (spelling) I have seen football shaped ones at hmm now which store was that I think the dollar store in Port Perry or it might have been the party store there.
You could do a longest pass contest or a hit the target with the football game.
Ummm thats all i can add i think you have thought of everything.