Par-tay!

Okay, settle down. Not as exciting as it sounds. Unless you're 8. This weekend was my niece's b-day, and I went to help with the festivities. It was out at a very cute little city park over on my sister's side of town.

Helpful Hint: If you've been walking along in an area, and look down and think to yourself. "Hey! That looks like the back of my phone!", do not treat this as just a curious coincidence. Stoop down and pick it up. Then look at the back of your own phone. It may not be a coincidence. It may actually be the back of your phone. Which is an unfortunat thing to discover 4 hours later, when you can't do a damn thing about it. Just a word to the wise. Don't ask me how I know this.

My sister, who is truly the hostess with the mostest, had a few activities planned (nature trails scavenger hunt, marshmallow & toothpick building contest, pin the antenna on the bee), and some general "goof off on the playground" time as well. Pretty simple, pretty affordable, and pretty dang fun. And for anyone who thinks that kids are really jaded these days, you'll be glad to know that one of the kids looked at me and said, "This the best party ever." No moon-bounce, pony rides, magicians, clowns or party DJ needed. They did get party favors, but you'd be surprised how happy a candy lipstick can make a kid.

I got to run the marshmallow & toothpick building contest while my sister made a run with a few of the girls to the little girls room. The kids ran from 3 to 9, and they were all able to participate. You have to balance helping the littler ones, while not making the big kids feel like you're hanging them out to dry. At one point, I said to one of my nieces, "You've got a lot of marshmallows to help stick it together, but you need something to make it tall. What makes it taller?" And another little girl yelled, "Toothpicks!" In much the same tone that Einstein must have said, "Oh, you square the velocity of light!" It's so much fun to watch when a kid suddenly gets it.

Anyway, cupcakes and fun had by all. My niece raked in the birthday bucks, so she's feeling like Miss Moneybags. A good day.