I am one of those inclusive type of people. I don’t want to exclude anyone, since I don’t want them to feel bad or get their feelings hurt. I felt like an outsider far too often for my liking when I was growing up. I realize that it is all a part of growing up where you need a tough skin if you don’t get invited somewhere, but really, little kids don’t need to be too tough, right? I like them being all soft and gooey!
Right now, we are trying to decide who to invite to Kai’s birthday party. This is his first friend birthday party, so the dilemma is who to invite? According to Kailan, EVERYONE is his friend. I know he is personable and cute as all get out, but I don’t think he is bestest friends in the whole-wide world with all 20 kids in his class. We need to narrow it down a bit, as much as that pains me. Plus, I don’t think I ordered enough invites, so we can only invite as many as we have invites or else the others would feel that much less special and get Kai a toy made in China with oodles and oodles of lead…and that just wouldn’t be nice!
The entertainment for his party is a pretty cool lizard handler, who is bringing a dozen reptiles, including a boa constrictor. Yeah, we’re crazy right?? They are bringing these lovely creepy crawlies into our home, and there is only so much room for reptiles AND out of control 3-4 year olds. If all the kids came, I may go insane. I’m pretty sure that would happen.
I love this reptile zoo company, since not only do they come to our house, they have party favor boxes we can buy. The only thing better would be for them to bring the cake and munchies, too! Well, I would probably have to draw the line there, I guess. Transporting food with lizards doesn’t sound very sanitary. 😉
To make the “who to invite” list a little easier, I asked his teacher to give me a list of his bestest friends in the whole wide world. Then, we add those kids that have invited him to birthday parties this year that didn’t make the list and a few kids outside of daycare that are his friends and we should have….roughly 20 kids.
I may go insane. 😉
I am almost 4 and I am special!
I can solve your problem.
Just invite me and my kids 🙂 We make a fun party, and you wouldn’t spend near as much money!
Seriously? This is why I’m glad my kids’ birthdays are in the summer. #1 we can have a giant party outside, and #2 they haven’t seen any but their best friends all summer long so there’s no “lets invite the whole class”.
Good luck. What kind of party are you having?
Oh, a lizard handler. That is cool. My girls would love that, too.
I did a similar party when my son was about the same age and we had maybe 12-13 kids. When you have entertainment like this, that uses up a good part of the time, you can have a few more kids than you would if you have to entertain them. The trick is to have about a 20 minute or so block of time before the entertainment to allow all the kids to arrive. then the entertainment, followed by just enough time for cake and ice cream. If you have lots of kids, don’t open presents at the party. Have Kai do it afterward. Kids get used to this quickly nowadays because none of th e party places (Chuckecheese, Laserzone etc) allow gift opening.
LOL Alissa…that sounds like a plan! The theme for Kai’s party is lizards and apparently Transformers. We will have teh lizard party favor boxes and then probably a Transformer cake. I just need to get some decorations. I am not very good at birthday parties.
Melody, I think that this age is so curious with creatures that it is a lot of fun to watch them. We asked Kai, and this was his choice!
Susan, thanks for the insight! I think it would be easier when they have entertainment. I put the time for the party starting and the lizard guy to come as the same time…I hope it works out.
Sounds like it’s going to be a fun party. The first kids party, wow, you’ve got guts. I’m planning on waiting until my kids are at least first grade to throw them a kid party.
I like soft and gooey kids too. 🙂 They have to grow up and face the hard facts of life soon enough!
I don’t envy you this dilema. I faced it myself briefly…and then decided to cop out and wait ’till next year for the birthday party with friends. 🙂
Lizards and repiles oh my! What fun for the kiddos!
I remember the preschool age birthday parties. Being the insane mommy that I am…we always had a lot of kids. But like you’re doing, I always had entertainment. Susan’s suggestions sound spot on.
Just have a bottle of wine chilled for when everyone leaves…and don’t share it with hubby. 🙂
Reptiles!!! Yes!!!
very cool!! i love the lizard guy…can’t wait to see pics of that one.
i am curious how you handle this, too. our preschool doesn’t allow you to pass out invites to anyone in the kid’s class, unless you have invites for everyone. gulp. we have 20 kids to a class, too. stupid rule, so i’m making friends with the moms of the kids E. really gets along with and i may try to slip it to them on the sly? i don’t know…