How to throw a successful Birthday Party!

Here is your step-by-step guide to throwing a successful birthday party for a VERY good and cute 8 year old:

Step #1- Exhaust Energy

So I sent Brooks to Bounce-U (a place with a ton of inflatables to get the boy-energy out) with 8 boys and 1 girl.......ALL piled in the Yeti. (That IN ITSELF would be a party!) I must say, sending the party w/ Brooks and not with me was a GENIUS move on part.

Step #2- Wait

Brooks came BACK from Bounce-U with 7 boys and 1 girl.........meaning he left someone there. (maybe sending him wasn't so genius afterall) Of course, it had to be youngest one....my little Emerson. However this step in the party is CRUCIAL to having an exciting party so that all the guests remember it! So do NOT omit it.

Step #3- Admire

After being left at Bounce-U, Emerson had the honor of hanging out with 3 (yes, THREE) cop cars. All he could tell them was his first name and his age! Nice. However, our last name wouldn't have helped much anyway. They gave him a sticker and a sucker (that apparently when you stare at it to admire it's beauty you go cross-eyed). According to Emerson "they were SUPER nice. And they didn't even take me to jail!"

Step #4- EAT

Need I really say more? He wanted the usual ice cream sandwich cake, which I've mentioned before is the BEST b-day cake to eliminate the whole scooping up ice cream and dishing up cake thing.

Step #5- Pinata

EXCEPT when the FIRST string that gets pulled lets all the candy out. But hey, they got their candy, right? And I didn't even have to make a pinata this party because some lady gave that pinata to Camden at a yard sale thing and he said Bronson could use it! Score.

Step #6- Play

What would a party of boys be w/o the whole running-around-the-house-with-guns thing and basketball in the driveway?! I mean, really.

So there you have it. I laid out the simple steps to a party that now YOU can throw one too! You can thank me later......or pay me in sweets. Whichever.

Quick Answers about Emerson:

On the way home all the kids told Brooks Emerson was missing, but of course he thought they were joking. When they came home the kids told ME Emerson was missing and I thought they were joking too. (they've tried that one on me before) Then when Brooks came in and we realized he WASN'T there, Brooks rushed out the door and I got on the phone to call Bounce-U. (the lady had him there) When Brooks got there he expected to see Emerson sad, crying, horrified, or whatever.............not. the. case. One of the workers was holding him and he was laughing. Apparently he had the BEST time w/ the cops and the teenaged guy worker there playing air hockey, etc. He was so proud of himself that he BEAT that worker in air hockey as well. So I'm SUPER glad that he LEARNED HIS LESSON to stay by us, because heaven knows he would NOT want to go through all the game-playing, sucker-eating, sticker-getting, policecar-tours torture again!