Triplets Party Time
I always feel slightly uneasy at the responsibility that comes with managing my triplets birthday parties; with 3 of them all inviting their friends we end up with quite a house full. Thankfully we have the farm, the play areas and 30 acres of fun and freedom which all their friends find absolute heaven. Never the Less keeping an eye on a class of eight year olds and focusing their energy takes all of mine and I do like to enlist a little help from some of my Mummy friends too!
Strategic Planning for Success
I like to have a plan for birthday parties and then allow a little "go with the flow" to develop as well. I opted for a lunch time party with a BBQ and crossed my fingers for the weather. I can't say we were lucky as it drizzled on and off all day but the children were so excited it didn't seem to matter!
The party plan:
1. Free play
2. BBQ
3. Crafts
4. Birthday Cake
5. Water play
6 Parents collect
A Party of two halves
They are just reaching the age where the opposite sex are to be avoided at all costs and any game has to be girls versus boys. I should have guessed this really. Since most of the class were attending the party had been the talk of school for the preceding week. Right from the start my over active bunch of children wanted to dive into a water battle, all armed with water guns they had brought. However I insisted in this being the last event no earlier than 30 minutes before parent collection. With the water game vetoed they boys disappeared off onto the farm and play areas whilst the girls tried out our new play side in the garden. Farmer Nick had bought this on e-bay hoping to embed the track into the grassy banks on the lawns and make a floor level safe natural fun slide for our guests to enjoy near the play boat. Sadly the insurers wouldn't have any of it so into the garden it came, much to the delight of my children in time for the party!
Clio shows us the slide in operation:
Everyone Loves a BBQ
Farmer Nick battled against the elements to produce a perfect BBQ. The boys were still wild with excitement despite their hour of dashing around the play areas and so a BBQ was perfect. No need for plates or sitting down, just a grab and run to suit them. They almost disappeared too soon but were soon pulled back by the prospect of toasting their own marsh mellows on the BBQ under the watchful eye of Farmer Nick.
Guy then had the honour of being allowed to dose the BBQ coals with water before anyone could hurt themselves.
Craft Time
After lunch a little down time with crafts was the plan. The girls were delighted to come in and sat down enthusiatically for home made cookie decorating. The boys just gave me that "you have to be kidding" look and dashed back off to our play boat to resume their games.
Moving happily from biscuit icing to glass decorating the girls were blissful. This was such a simple idea, felt pens for glass which you then just bake in the oven to ensure the design remains in tact after washing. The best thing about party crafts is that the children design and make their own take home presents negating the need for party bags!
Happy Birthday
No party is complete without a good party cake. This was a giant 3 in 1 banana one side and chocolate the other all with a choice of icing for their own section. With eight candles each it took some lighting but even the boys enjoyed this one, if only because it signalled the time for the long awaited water gun bonanza!
Rabbits and Water Play
The adults sensibly split themselves between the rabbits with the girls and watching through the house window while the boys enjoyed their mad half hour in the garden with water guns. Soaked and shivering, but still laughing, the boys, and one or two girls, trooped inside to change just as their parents arrived to collect them. Pictures came back from the rabbits, but none of us were brave enough to risk the water guns in the name of a photo!
At the end of the day everyone was returned to parents safe and happy with a bag of soggy clothes or or a beautiful glass and buscuit! Managing the expectations of 3 together on their big day is definitely challenging. However they all came up to Daddy and I later that evening claiming it was the best party ever. That alone made it worth all the effort.
I am linking this post to Multiple Mayhem Carnival hosted this month by the lovely
and for the crafty section my 1st entry withlinky with
