Today we celebrated our daughter’s birthday with her friends. It isn’t baby girl’s actual birthday (yeah, I still call my 9 year old baby girl lol) – that’s 1 month from now. It isn’t really easy to celebrate a birthday in the middle of the summer break. Sure, the weather is great for outdoor activities, but it’s a challenge to find friends who are home for the break.
Anyways … I thought it would be a good idea to celebrate it today. Especially since yesterday was the last day of the school year.
I didn’t have to think about the venue too much. All I knew was I didn’t want the celebration at home. Something quick. I pay and just have to show up on D-day. Fuss-free.
Unlike most of her previous birthdays:
First birthday – Dora theme – at home
Second birthday – Family dinner + bouncy castles
Third birthday – Jollibee (with all of the mascots!)
Fourth birthday – no celebration, unfortunately my mother-in-law passed away that week
Fifth birthday– first birthday in France – with school friends – at home – homemade cake
Sixth birthday– with school friends – at home – homemade cake
Seventh birthday– Marineland, in Spain – summer vacation
Eighth birthday – making pizzas – with school friends – at home – cupcakes from Coffeeserie
I don’t think I have the courage and patience in me to celebrate a birthday at home anymore.
So, we were on our way to the birthday venue. Baby girl and her friend were in the back. I didn’t meeeaaannn to eavesdrop, but I swear this is too good.
Baby girl: Hey, is there a pimple / spot on my nose? Friend: Yeah, it’s slightly red. Baby girl: Oh. But that’s alright. That’s what they call puberty.
OMG!!! LOL Yup, my 9-year old is going through puberty according to her. I don’t know whether to cry or die from laughter.
Anyways, the birthday venue was theTrampoline Park in Moulins-les-Metz. It’s still quite new and clean.Annnddddit doesn’t have a strange smell when you get in. That was very important for me.
We went in, all proud to be there early. The invitation said 2:45PM, it was 2:40PM. Definitely up for a good parenting award. And then I felt a tap on my shoulder, turned around, saw another mom, and was told all that the kids were already waiting at the back of the establishment. Great, guess the award won’t go to me.
No worries, I can still make up for this. Unfortunately, this is a little awkward. I say a quick hello to the other parents. I’m feeling slightly embarrassed, don’t really know what to do. Where are we supposed to go, what are we supposed to do, what am I supposed to say. I am not in my element.
But thankfully, the staff is cool. She tells me what’s to happen. 15 minutes warm-up, 1 hour and 30 minutes on the trampoline, and then 1 hour for the cake and opening of the gifts.
Warm-up goes fine, 30 minutes into the trampoline time and I find it is loooong. Thank goodness my niece is with me and we gossip. The husband goes around the place to check that our 9 girls + 1 boy are fine. Other birthdays are going on, adults are also jumping on the trampoline. I see a girl hurting her knee, another her eye, and one is non-stop bleeding from the nose. Oh gosh, trampoline jumping is dangerous and I’m counting the minutes till this stops. LOL.
It finally does. We then sing the birthday song, eat the delicious chocolate cake, stuff our faces with candies (the dentist is sure happy about this), drink soda, and ooh and aah at the gifts. Baby girl has been spoiled.
She manages a smile, but the poor girl is tired. So are the others. Everyone had a good day though – thanks toTrampoline Park!
Baby girl is going to my niece’s home for a week, so she puts aside the gifts she wants to bring with her.
I’m surely going to miss my almost 9 year old baby girl.