Yesterday we hosted a pool party for my daughter’s 9th birthday. I can’t believe “9” isn’t a typo. I have a child who is turning nine. Where did the time go?
We have already deemed ourselves “Super Geniuses” for finally putting this pool in, never considering the ease with which we would forever host birthday parties as a factor when we decided to go ahead with it.
There will no longer be a need to come up with games we think will occupy a group of children for one hour intervals when in reality, they will play them to exhaustion before the five minute whistle is blown and stare at the host parents with that, “this party blows….just like it did last year…..and the year before that….and you’re not fooling anyone with your healthy snack alternatives.”
The pool party is a different beast altogether.
You really just have to pray to that woman who lives in a tanning bed, I call her “Goddess of the Sun” for three weeks prior to choosing a date as hosting a pool party could prove risky if you don’t have the right weather. Then you have no pool and you haven’t even bothered to plan your lame basement games.
The kids decorated pool towels with fabric markers which would then become their party favours along with a new water bottle to take back to school, in keeping with the watery theme.
Towel decorating—5 minutes
Eating pizza—3 minutes
Water balloon toss—1 hour to prepare, 1 minute to play to completion
Swimming—COULDN’T GET THEM OUT OF THE WATER!!!!
Greg and I just couldn’t stop patting ourselves on the back.
Pushing our retirement back at least ten years (well, Greg’s retirement…I’m already retired, shhh) was totally worth it for this one, fun, pool party in the sun.
I did have one back-up game where I blew up about 30 balloons and placed the word “Sorry” in twenty-nine of them and the word “Winner!/Gagnon!” in one. I hadn’t determined what the winning prize would be even after the party was well underway. I just thought popping balloons might get out some of that end of summer aggression I’ve been seeing on the streets as of late. Also, it gave me a chance to use the label maker which is maybe the greatest thing we own, second only to the pool…..and maybe that bug zapper that looks like a tennis racket but is really a lethal weapon.
The Sun Goddess (Tanny Mommy) came through in a big way for us, so much so, my balloons all popped within three minutes of the party getting underway. I found sad little notes of condolence “Sorry” all over the lawn and in the mulch surrounding the pool.
I cancelled the game which was just as well as I feared I would have to give up my label maker as a prize.
Then at the end of the day, when all of the cushions were put away, the empty chip bowls were washed and the overflowing fruit trays were returned to the fridge, I took a walk around the yard to remember the fantastic afternoon.
And then I found something that made me smile…..
