Birthday Parties of DOOM!

In this family, we have different sorts of birthdays... for one thing, Mama doesn't like her birthday, so it is celebrated after the fact and minimally at best, and not for the reasons you might assume.  I don't like my birthday because of lots and lots of early years that created trauma triggers for me, and are best left to the dusts of time rather than re-lived.  Kids, though, they can have birthday parties.  Really elaborate ones some years, requiring lots of hard work from the grown-ups.

Sadly, I'm not social enough (introverts, unite, just, you know, separately, et al!) to provide my poor children with adequate friend opportunities, so we have a long history of creative, fancy, fun, exciting and POORLY ATTENDED parties.  It has always created a sad alongside the happy.  There is always enough food left over to feed the starving children of Antagonia.  This year will probably be no exception to that trend, but HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL and I will yet try again to entice folks into coming to our house and playing with our toys.  I think any boy invited to THIS party would have fun, but every year I am surprised by the lack of interest in things I think sound cool, so what do I know?  Wouldn't you think this was fun?

MALL OF DYSTOPIA DREAMS PARTY

 (The invitation reads "Boys Will be Boys Party" 
but this is what we're calling it around here)

The Mall has really gone down hill, and you are invited to come play in what's left...

(Wear swim suits and shoes and bring a change of clothes and shoes---

...it's gonna be icky up in here!!)

Food Fight Court---grab a can of cheez whiz, some whipped cream and a koolaid water gun and the obligatory pair of safety glasses and make your own fun.

Wishing Well---there's some Gold Dollar Coins in there, somewhere, and various other things, under the green slime.  Keep what you catch!

Build-a-Blank Workshop---the cardboard tower and surrounding structures are yours to paint, tape more pieces of cardboard to, whatever makes you happy.  When the party is winding down we will destroy the whole thing (as safely as possible, mind you) or, if the fire department agrees...we might set it on FIRE and hose it off with power sprayers.

Egg Shooting Gallery---if you can't use the catapult, you could always just throw them at the tree target.

Funky Off Fountain---run around in sprinkler land to freshen up, spray your friends, use the BIG water guns...clean up for food!

There will be field day type games, hot dogs, ice cream, chips, dip, cake and plenty of hand sanitizer.

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We'll see how many boys come.  I'll post as many pictures as I can get before someone slimes my camera.  :D

Wish us luck.  I really want my son to be able to cut loose and have fun and maybe make some friends along the way.

Throwback party remembering...da Firstborn's cardboard party (tea party in the replica cardboard house I made for her) was much, much, much more civilized (and yet, still very very fun):