Birthday Season
Oh, yes. Here in San Diego we have an extra season, birthday season. For some strange reason, most of Keegan’s friends were born between the end of January and the end of March, which means that we have an orgy of parties in these two months. 9 kids, mainly from school, celebrated a birthday during that time, but fortunately not every one had a party.
We started with Kenzie’s birthday at the end of January. Next up, Van, Camren and Elliott combined their special days and had a group party at…Pump It Up. However, it was a Star Wars Themed party. As always, Keegan had a blast on the bouncies, but the best part was when Darth Vader showed up, accompanied by its infamous music. He was shorter than I expected, but he was cool.
Darth showing his soft side by giving away stickers and tattoos.
The kids loved it, and were more than ready to pose for pictures.
Keegan looks fierce. Don’t join the dark side!
The three identical, hand-made cakes were Star Wars Themed too. I am surprised that all three kids agreed on a common theme. I guess it is the power of Star Wars.
The following week, it was Rozelin’s birthday party. She also wanted to have it at Pump It Up, but it was not available (we had to reserve almost three months in advance), so the plan B was Chuck E Cheese…and this is where I draw the line. I positively hate that place. So, it was Matt’s turn to go: in all honestly, he does not mind it as much, so it is a win-win situation. Kenzie was invited also, so Keegan loved to pose for picture with his “girlfriend” / future wife and the birthday girl (and the creepy, gigantic rat).
Next up: Jada’s party that was held, you guessed it, at Pump It Up. Fortunately, Kelton was invited as well, so Keegan was not shy and started playing on the inflatables and jumping around. This is my favorite part of the party: I get to talk to other adults while the kids, aside for the occasional potty break, or crying fit, entertain themselves. It still does not make it fun, but it makes it at least bearable.
…and this is Pump it Up group photo number 4!
…having snacks with Kelton and Eilen (Alyce’s friend and also Jada swim partner)
We had a couple of weeks break, and then it was Julia’s Pool Party. It was probably one of my favorite ones, maybe because it was not at Pump it Up…She only invited Keegan from class, but Kenzie and Victoria were there too, so Keegan was excited. The water was pretty shallow, and very warm, so he jumped right in. Matt “volunteered” to get in the water, but to be honest, it was the dads who got wet, while the moms talked.
The pool, The Plunge, is right on the beach in Mission Beach, and it has a beautiful mural.
They also had a bouncie and an inflatable slide, one of the biggest hit of the party.
Sliding was fun, but not quite as much as splashing people with a very high pressure hose.
We got a Julia’s dad to volunteer so all the kids took turns.
We had our own private deck and we feasted on the largest pizzas I ever seen, veggies, and of course ocean themed cupcakes.
After more than two hours of fun, it was time to say goodbye. Kenzie and Keegan walked hand in hand to the parking lot: the cutest couple ever. Keegan is looking forward to seeing her new house and especially her horses.
Our neighbor Markus’s party was the last one of the series: no more parties till summer or fall. It was a more mellow event, held at their house in the mid afternoon, with the obligatory bouncie on the front yard and a worm shaped piñata (which was almost impossible to break). No photos for that party…too busy drinking wine. I think this should be a must for a kid’s birthday party: an abundance of adult beverages…
Well, we survived another year of birthday bashes…and with Keegan starting a new school after summer, I foresee a steep decline in the sheer number. I don’t see this as a bad thing at all. (-:
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