teenage parties

Forget the balloons, the treasure hunts, the tug of war and pin the tail on the donkey.

Long gone those days

Now we are into the teenage party

-  pause ... take a valium ...   no, better make that two ... pause  -

My children are great, I dote on them, I can be strict but actually I am super indulgent.  Our home is open to their friends, that's the  way we love it.  Why?   .....

1.   because I love to get to know the people they want to spend time with 

2.  because they are safer here than out on the town, and

3.  because it just makes me happy to have the house full to the brim.

So when my sixteen year old says "Mummy, can I organise a surprise birthday party for Sebastian here, we'll just be 8, we'll sleep in tents, we won't make any noise ......"  and I know full well it will end up at least 15 of them, with music and a sleepless night, I invariably say " yes darling, of course, what would you like for the birthday supper?"...

So it was again this weekend - the party was for a certain Baptiste, the eight guests grew to twenty three.  Tents were pitched, sleeping bags appeared,   but I'm pretty sure nobody slept a wink and the next morning I served le petit-dejeuner in order of arrival, but mostly continually between 8 and 11.30!!

Sounds grim?  No, it was wonderful .....

For a start, the said daughter made the birthday cake.  Some of the friends arrived early
and together they prepared most of the dinner themselves.

The birthday boy arrived and was visibly thrilled that his mates had prepared
this expression of affection.

The evening was a huge success, the music was cool, they laughed a lot as
they sat around our barbecue table and chatted

OK, so I did have to get out of bed at 4.50am and suggest that it might be a good
moment to retire to the tents, but you know what?    they agreed!!

and this morning..... I sat down and drunk a cup of tea with the first breakfast sitting - the coolest , sweetest kids you could meet.  I was rewarded for my presence with magic tricks - EXCELLENT - and then a piano recital  ....SIGH

This morning it felt good to be a mother :)  :)  :) !!