The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Songbird76]

We usually invite 25-30, but I always hope that a few will RSVP No.lol.
Good thing I’ve been in luck with that, I’ve never booked a party larger than 22 kids (have to choose at time of booking)..and I don’t want to pay the per person fee above that.

Wow....I never let my kids invite more than 6. And it has to be on a day when my husband can be there, too.
How old will the boys be? Could they do a GPS scavenger hunt thing? There are companies that you can hire and they set it all up and have the equipment and everything...you just divide them into groups and send them off with one adult per group. But they'd have to be old enough to understand the GPS...so like...around 10 or so? Or maybe an escape room? Bowling? Mini-golf or glow in the dark golf? I'm trying to think of parties my DD has been invited to or things we've done with our kids.

 

[21stamps]

Wow....I never let my kids invite more than 6. And it has to be on a day when my husband can be there, too.
How old will the boys be? Could they do a GPS scavenger hunt thing? There are companies that you can hire and they set it all up and have the equipment and everything...you just divide them into groups and send them off with one adult per group. But they'd have to be old enough to understand the GPS...so like...around 10 or so? Or maybe an escape room? Bowling? Mini-golf or glow in the dark golf? I'm trying to think of parties my DD has been invited to or things we've done with our kids.

I’m hoping that we’ll be down to 6-8 next year. Right now most of the kids in his class do the whole classroom/teammates parties.. although, we’ve been invited to 2 this year who chose to narrow it down now. I know of one party that we weren’t invited to as well, the kid isn’t in kiddo’s class, but they played basketball together. I’m ok with kiddo Not being invited! I feel like there’s one every weekend.lol.(there’s not)

He’s going to be 8. We’ve done glow mini golf and glow mini bowling. I was thinking NERF tag (or whatever it’s called), an indoor sports club, roller skating, or an indoor zip line/rock climbing place.
I’m glad you mentioned an Escape Room.. I think we may have had a ‘family escape room’ open up somewhere in Cincinnati or NKY, I’ll have to look into that. Great idea!

The GPS sounds neat too, but not at my house. We went to one party at someone’s house.. or more accurately..a truck parked in their driveway. It was a semi looking truck full of video games. The kids loved it, but I stay away from the video game stuff for parties right now. I never even let my kid have a party at Chuck E Cheese when he was younger, mean Mom-I know.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Goodness, how many animals...er children did you invite to that party?? I would never do a party again!!

We usually invite 25-30, but I always hope that a few will RSVP No.lol.
Good thing I’ve been in luck with that, I’ve never booked a party larger than 22 kids (have to choose at time of booking)..and I don’t want to pay the per person fee above that.

I think we will start cutting down the list in the next year or so, down to close friends only. Right now it’s his class, friends in the other classroom, cub scouts, sports teams, lego club.. but a lot of those kids overlap, so that sounds like more than it is.

Age 3-5 we invited the whole class, girls and boys.. last year we changed to just the boys.


@dryerlintfan has solidified and validated my fear of home parties.

Wow....I never let my kids invite more than 6. And it has to be on a day when my husband can be there, too.
How old will the boys be? Could they do a GPS scavenger hunt thing? There are companies that you can hire and they set it all up and have the equipment and everything...you just divide them into groups and send them off with one adult per group. But they'd have to be old enough to understand the GPS...so like...around 10 or so? Or maybe an escape room? Bowling? Mini-golf or glow in the dark golf? I'm trying to think of parties my DD has been invited to or things we've done with our kids.

I think that year we invited 20 kids. It was her first birthday though so it was mainly our friends who had kids. Last year we did one of those bounce house places and invited 30 kids (again, mostly our friends) but since there rate was the same regardless of the guest count, we wanted to Max out. This year for her third birthday we did a pool party and i had to pay for each kid and each adult, so we only invited 15 kids.

Next year I'm hoping that she'll start having a closer circle of friends so we can invite even fewer. We always send a cake or ice cream to her school so we don't feel entirely pressured to invite everyone from her class.

 

[Cesar R M]

NAP TIME!!!!

 

[21stamps]

I think that year we invited 20 kids. It was her first birthday though so it was mainly our friends who had kids. Last year we did one of those bounce house places and invited 30 kids (again, mostly our friends) but since there rate was the same regardless of the guest count, we wanted to Max out. This year for her third birthday we did a pool party and i had to pay for each kid and each adult, so we only invited 15 kids.

Next year I'm hoping that she'll start having a closer circle of friends so we can invite even fewer. We always send a cake or ice cream to her school so we don't feel entirely pressured to invite everyone from her class.

That’s exactly why I won’t grant T’s biggest birthday wish (every year) of having his party at Great Wolf Lodge. You have to pay for kids and parents.. HE** NO. We got invited to one this past November, but we were out of town.. I’m sure the parents were relieved when I sent our regrets.

I’d rather just book a 6 person suite (when they run a special rate) and then pay the extra $100 for 2 more bracelets, let him invite 6 kids. He doesn’t want to narrow it down that far yet, so once again we won’t be having a ‘friends party’ at GWL.

 

[DryerLintFan]

That’s exactly why I won’t grant T’s biggest birthday wish (every year) of having his party at Great Wolf Lodge. You have to pay for kids and parents.. HE** NO. We got invited to one this past November, but we were out of town.. I’m sure the parents were relieved when I sent our regrets.

I’d rather just book a 6 person suite (when they run a special rate) and then pay the extra $100 for 2 more bracelets, let him invite 6 kids. He doesn’t want to narrow it down that far yet, so once again we won’t be having a ‘friends party’ at GWL.

The funny thing is though that when we had the party at our house, we spent more money on the party than we have when we host it elsewhere. Even with paying for every guest, and food and decorations, the pool party cost about $100 less than the at home party. At home i prepare more food because the kitchen is right there, and i decorate every room anyone will presumably be in and that adds up so quickly. So we save money by having it outside the house, and we don't have to stress for a week deep cleaning the house.

GWL is definitely on our list of future party locations!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Sorry about your arm. I think that earned you an extra beer xoxo

I'm planning on it!

 

[21stamps]

The 1st year of pre school parties were weird to me. We didn’t do that when I was a kid, invite a whole classroom. Not at ages 3,4.
I didn’t know any of the parents..luckily got to know a few of them after the first one, which made the rest a little less awkward.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

OMG, I am so excited. I had posted a throwback picture of our family at the Harry Potter exhibition last summer, saying now I needed to get them to the Wizarding World in Orlando. A friend told me it was great and I explained that I'd been there, but it was when it first opened and it wasn't a great experience. My cousin said she's looking at going this summer, could I give her tips. I told her I really couldn't, because we didn't get to do anything last time because it was so busy, but that we were looking at going in 2019 at the same time as Disney. She wrote back saying her dad is wanting to take the whole family to Disney in 2019 and we should coordinate! This is the same cousin we went to South Dakota with, with my brother's family in 2016, and her daughter and my niece are close in age and hit it off. So if they all go and we can coordinate, she's going to work on my brother and see if we can get the whole family to go at the same time....it will be a huge reunion. How AMAZING would that be? How could my brother say no to that??

That would be really fun for you all.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I buy this.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

We haven't gone above freezing yet today and 2 schools close to us are already closed tomorrow. Tonight's dinner groundhog ribs with bbq sauce, corn bread and broccoli salad

 

[21stamps]

The funny thing is though that when we had the party at our house, we spent more money on the party than we have when we host it elsewhere. Even with paying for every guest, and food and decorations, the pool party cost about $100 less than the at home party. At home i prepare more food because the kitchen is right there, and i decorate every room anyone will presumably be in and that adds up so quickly. So we save money by having it outside the house, and we don't have to stress for a week deep cleaning the house.

GWL is definitely on our list of future party locations!!

I totally agree.. I’ve looked at doing all of the cute Pinterest decorations and food at home.. the cost would be around the same.. but the stress and prep time commitment would be a lot worse. Not worth it to me at all.

If you do GWL, definitely look at the Suite options when they’re running a special.. even if you just invite people for the day. The have rooms that allow you to have 8 bracelets. The bday party is ridiculous $50pp, 15 guest minimum, and it’s only a couple of hours.

As you know, I surprised T with a birthday weekend there over his bday/Easter last year.. one of the days I allowed him to invite a friend to spend the day with us. We had the birthday package for our room. They had so much fun, ate cake and ice cream, got to hang out for several hours, then the kid went home. It was perfect.

***edit*** I was wrong, bday party is 10 person minimum, not 15. 1 adult per every 4 kids. I guess that’s a little better.
Compared to what you get with spending the night- pj story time and morning dance/yoga..more hours in the water park, there’s just no way that I can justify the “party” there vs staying overnight. It’s popular though.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Ow!!! Does your husband not ever cook? I think you should turn it over to him while you recover from your burn!

He will cook occasionally. Like if I'm working late and leave him easy instructions. He is a good griller and smoker (BBQ).

 

[donaldtoo]

Was a little wet outside this mornin', but, managed to get more done in the yard this afternoon. Time to chill with a brewski...or two...!!!

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

Sympathy like. I hope you get all rain Wednesday

Thanks. I just checked the weather and lo and behold they have snow for Wednesday 1-3". It was originally going to be rain. Here is hoping that it turns back to rain.

 

[donaldtoo]

And, I'm now 67 pages behind.
I'll see if I can even ketchup from about 10 back...

 

[donaldtoo]

Thanks. I just checked the weather and lo and behold they have snow for Wednesday 1-3". It was originally going to be rain. Here is hoping that it turns back to rain.

Oh my. Sympathy like.
It's partly cloudy and 77 here right now. Was pretty much the same yesterday.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I guess I have to import it, I havent seen anything like that locally , nor on amazon

Aveeno is just a brand. Check for colloidal oatmeal bath.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

It’s only 48 here, but the wind is not blowing.. and the sun is out!! T’s nose started running and my ears were starting to hurt though, I think we lasted an hour. The yard is too muddy so we went to a school parking lot, we used a little bit of the field as well..still muddy, but not as bad as the mess of my yard.

My ears have issues with cold and wind also. I get earaches really easily unless they are covered when it is windy. I hate that feeling.

 

[Figgy1]

Thanks. I just checked the weather and lo and behold they have snow for Wednesday 1-3". It was originally going to be rain. Here is hoping that it turns back to rain.

Sympathy like. I'm looking at 3-6 or 6-9. Another snow day