Of Birthday parties

 So this year we went overboard with the birthday parties to make up for no parties last year (lockdown) and S turning 13.

A had hers first. since she wanted to call only her 3 close friends and her requirements of cake was very simple (just doughnuts) it was not a very complicated affair. We met the kids at Pizza Hut, had a quick lunch and then checked into Wild Wild Wet. I hung around at a table with the bags while the kids went on the slides, lazy river etc. A good 2 hours later (not fun in the hot sun, 35 degrees + even in the shade) we were done. We all got a bubble tea each and took the a cab home. Doughnuts and more play at home and the party wound down at 6:30 pm. The hubby had got air pods for A which turned out to be the perfect present. She listens to songs on her phone with the airpods all the time now. To the extent that i keep calling for her without realising she can't hear. The unintended effect is that she ends up listening to music at the same time that the hubby is doing his 10k run (tries to do every weekend/ public holiday) and they share an apple tunes account so he ends up accidentally listening to the latest Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande numbers!

S had her actual birthday first where i got her Agatha's brownies and the hubby got her Agatha (Christie)'s Poirots. Her favourite pastime is to curl up on her beanbag, or the sofa downstairs with a Poirot in her hand and Fido (sometimes) by her side. She wanted to call 9 friends to her birthday and given current restrictions of 8 max party size she split into 2 parties of 4 and 5. The first one was at Hydrodash - a floating adventure course at Sentosa. We booked a 2 hour session though we thought they would be done in 1.5 hours. Suprisingly they lasted the entire 2 hours though they were exhausted by the end of it. The girls first came home, had pizza lunch, then i escorted them in a mini bus (!!) to Sentosa.  2 hours again in the hot shade and some bubble tea/ ice cream later we returned home. Cake cutting and they left slowly by 6:30. I know parents don;t accompany 13 year olds to parties but i didn;t want the kids alone in the sea in case of any problems. Probably next year i will be redundant. S second party didn;t involve any swimming. The kids wanted to do the luge. I took them there and made myself scarce in a nice AC cafe. 1.5 hours and 4 luge rides and bubble tea later I put them all in a Grab 6 home and found my own way back. 

I had taken two days off from work to organise and be present at these 3 parties. Honestly while i can moan about how tedious and tiring it is, I would not have it any other way. Very soon I won't be asked to organise or attend these, it will just be me and Fido then (speaking of which maybe I should organise a doggie birthday party for him :)