Darius had his birthday party on Sunday. I wasn't planning on having a party this year. After all, I spent a small fortune going to Disneyland with our extended family. And we did have a great birthday party at Big Thunder Ranchthat included special appearances with Woody, Jessie, and Bulls-eye from Toy Story 2. At the time, there was no convincing me that we would have a party with 20 kids less than month later.
I don't know what changed our minds. Partly it was using our cabana club for a pool party - a cost-effective $20 to reserve the tables. Partly it was the recent onslaught of parties he's had with his schoolmates. Partly it was seeing the look of sheer excitement when I asked Darius what he thought about having a pool party.
I have barely any photos of the day. Which is tragic. Because of all the parties I've ever thrown for Darius this was the most fun (and the easiest). Half way through, I told my MIL that its a good thing that Darius loves to swim. Now that I've survived the easiest party ever, I'm only gonna let him have a pool party.
Breakdown of Costs:
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Reserve the Cabana Club: $20
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Lifeguards (2): $50
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Snacks and drinks: $20
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Party Supplies: $10
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Party Favors (pool noodles & goggles) and the pinata: $60
We had 20 children and 15 adults. Cost per kid was $8. Which in Silicon Valley is a steal. The only thing that blew my budget was the cake because my fabulous idea (more on that later) turned out to be a nightmare to execute.
But the best part of the day was having my totally exhausted kid give me a giant hug at bedtime with a sincere thank you for the best party ever.
