Party Time

 

Today has been dedicated to Ellie's birthday party. We had all of the food, the party bags, and the decorations all ready to go. What we hadn't yet done was fill the 3d number 6 with balloons. The Gorse Fox set about blowing up 40 balloons of different sizes. He forgot that we have a pump, and did it all manually. He could have saved his breath.

Though he managed the inflation, Urban-cub arrived in time to actually stick the balloons in place.

After lunch, we loaded the car and headed for the community centre. Ellie's support staff included: Urban-cub, Darren, Cousteau-cub, the Coventry Hobbit, the Silver Vixen and the Gorse Fox. Bag by bag the cars were emptied and the kitchen was filled. Tables were laid out in the hall and decorations and posters were put up.  The Gorse Fox was presented with another bag of balloons. These were bigger. Again, he blew them up manually and Ellie ferried them across the hall to where they were needed.

Barbie arrived. Yes, you heard correctly. Urban-cub had hired an entertainer to create a "Barbie Party". She turned out to be brilliant, managing to keep thirty excited kids (boys and girls) entertained and engaged for a couple of hours.

The "cake lady" arrived. The cake had to follow the "Barbie" theme and she had done a marvellous job. It would be a shame to cut it at the end of the afternoon. (She did advise us on the best way to cut and portion it.

They sang. They danced. They played games. They charged about. Nobody seemed to get upset. It just worked.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, we prepared the party food: sausage rolls, mini sausages, crisps, quavers, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, red pepper strips, celery, pizza, fish and chip cones, and goodness alone knows what else.

All the while we kept the kettle boiling and provided teas and coffees for the adults who were trapped around walls whilst their kids had fun. 

Finally, it was time to cut the cake. Barbie asked everyone to gather around and Urban-cub lit the 6 candles. One candle ignited one of the decorative lights and involved some speedy intervention to ensure that things didn't become even more exciting.

Ellie blew out the candles and there was a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday". We took the cake to the kitchen and portioned half of it for the kids. Portioning meant slicing the back of the cake off. This left Barbie (the cake, not the entertainer) looking as if she was wearing a hospital gown that hadn't been fastened.

Enough remained for the cake to be taken home.

Once the kids left, it was all hands to the pump. We had to get everything tidied away and taken home. With the Silver Vixen, Cousteau-cub, the Coventry Hobbit, Urban-cub, Darren and the Gorse Fox it didn't take long and we were driving away 40 minutes later.

Darren was threatening to barbecue for the helpers and they headed to Urban-cub's. The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox went home and locked the door. It was a very quiet evening.