Water + Dirt + 15 kids = Success!

This past Saturday we celebrated Liam’s 3^rd birthday.  The kids had a blast!  Liam was in heaven.  And I have to say everything went perfectly!  The night before the party I was talking to my mom and she was having some doubts.  She thought it was going to be nuts with kids running around everywhere and was concerned that there wasn’t going to be enough entertainment.  She actually showed up to the party with a clown suit in the back of her car. No joke.  I’m not sure who she thought was going to wear it, but she brought it just in case.

I actually put a good amount of time planning and thinking out Liam’s party.  I taught for too many years and have had way too much time with Liam not to know that kids need to be kept busy.  So, I set up various play stations for the kids that were somewhat related to the party theme – gardening.

There was a “dig for bugs” station.  I hid fake bugs in our raised garden bed for the kids to search for.

There was a “water the roses” station.  This station actually turned into “dump a bucket of water on my friend’s head” station, and I think was the station that the kids enjoyed the most.

There was a “make your own butterfly mask” station.  This was good for kids who wanted a break from all the run around play.  And even a few parents sat down to make masks.

Additionally, we have a play house and a jungle gym in the backyard that provided plenty of fun for the kids.

With the exception of one splinter incident, the party was tear-free!  I was thrilled that all my hard planning had paid off.  I was not even set on the idea of having a birthday party until Liam asked me a couple of months ago who was coming to his birthday party.  I guess they get it at three that birthday parties happen and they want one.

 I told Joe, though, that we will be on the three year party cycle.  Next year will just be a small family get-together.   Liam will have to wait until he turns six to have another party with 15 friends.  But I think it is nice to have a big party at home.  One of the other moms thanked me before she left and said that she loved that I had an “old fashioned” backyard party.  I truly appreciated that she said this.  It would have been easier to set up the party at the kids’ gym down the street or to rent out space at one of the community swimming pools (especially since our refrigerator broke two days before the party and we were without a refrigerator up until two hours before the party.)   But I love welcoming people into my home.  I feel like people don’t have people over anymore.  I don’t want my kids to grow up in a home that doesn’t welcome guests.  In Judaism , hakhnasat oreḥim, "the bringing in of guests" is considered a mitzvah, an expression of kindness.    But most importantly, the look of delight that was on Liam’s face all day was enough to confirm that having the party was the right choice.

My  big three year old!