that is right. b is turning 7 and she has officially had a horse cake, every year, except for the year she turned one. by HER choice. did i mention this was the fourth year she had a gymnastics party? luckily she is easy to please! we had the party at the goodson rec center. we had a party there when b turned 5 and it was a blast. we have been to at least 4 parties there that were a blast. somehow, this year, disaster struck. i guess i shouldn't say disaster, more like uncontrollable chaos and disorganization on the part of the rec center. they switched the party around to cake and presents in the party room first, THEN over to the gym. the minute kids started showing up, everyone was engaged in some game of tag and running all over the room....when they used to go to the gym first, that seemed to be a much better place to let that energy out.
i am against opening presents at parties at this age, after a few past years of doing it. but with over 30 minutes left in the party room , after cake, we had no choice but to open gifts as the chaos had started erupting again. opening presents , only escalated it and when nobody came to get us to head down to the party room, my stress level started rising. higher than it already was at this point. i lined everybody up somehow and we made it down to the opposite end of the rec center where the gym was. a young teenager proceeded to ask me if i wanted the kids to just run around the entire time or if i wanted them to do something with them. i could have smacked him. yes, lets see how much longer than can run around in a disorganized fashion. the organized party i was counting on turned into an even bigger disaster in the gym.
the pulley that they have at this gym was the ONLY reason we were here. the only reason b wanted her party here was to be hoisted up by this pulley twenty feet in the air. the true highlight that she has never forgotten. the boy told me he thought the kids were too big. i think he saw the look on my face because they included that at one of the stations they were trying to man.....poorly i might add. a few kids got hurt in the pit because nobody was really supervising it....one parent complained to the front desk....which i was grateful for as i, too, called and complained on my way home.
at the end of the day, what really mattered to me on b's special day was SHE had fun. and she did, as well as the rest of the kids. i think i and the parents there were the only ones who noticed the disorganization!
i really am praying that b has something different in mind for her 8th. i think we are done with gymnastics.
happy birthday b!
