where has all the time gone?

My Bug is having a birthday party tomorrow. He is a bit confused by exactly when he turns four, because until now he thought it happened when you blew out your candles. His actual birthday is on Sunday. Up until now we've had simple-ish home birthday parties with the guest+one rule. But it's February and we can't have the party outdoors and we don't have a good house for five four-year-olds. He wanted to go bowling. He only wanted to invite two other boys. Simple right? Take two little boys bowling, feed them some cake and be done. No. They both have older brothers that are friends with Pook and we like their parents, so we will be going Cosmic Bowling with six adults and seven little boys. And it made sense to just buy the birthday party deal since the price was about the same and they'll get pizza and favors this way.

Except this is not the kind of party I really like. I like having everyone in the backyard. I've perfected it:
1. kids arrive, run to play on the playset
2. I yell "cake!" and they all come back
3. silence...eating
4. they finish, run to play on the playset
5. I yell "presents!" and they all come back
6. they finish, run to play on the playset
7. I yell "time to go!"

I got a bit too elaborate for Pook's 6th. He wanted a "science party" and I got so into it I went a bit too far. We had three experiments (volcanoes, slime and Mentos-Diet Coke explosions!) and then I actually bought all sorts of science goodie bag favors which is totally not my thing to do. I think this is why I started pushing the go bowling or out to dinner idea at him. He's thinking of having a couple boys spend the night. (we'll see about that in May...) But Bug is still little and still needs a party.

So, now we're doing a blend. All the people I'd have had at home. But not at home. Maybe less stress. Definitely more money. But I'm turning down the bowling alley's cake. That I'll make. He wants a castle. Photos to come.