Connor was invited to a friend’s birthday party for the
first time recently. A little boy from
his kindergarten class invited him and although we were skeptical he would
enjoy it (it was at one of those bounce house places), we RSVPed yes. Who knows when the next invitation would
come?
Brent agreed to take him to the party so I could take Clara
and make good on a promise from her birthday. It was about 15 minutes into the
party when the first text came through: “This is going to be a disaster.”
I asked if we should come over thinking Clara could maybe
get him to enjoy the party a bit more.
Brent said yes, so Clara and I ditched her plans and headed over to the
bounce place.
We walked in and I went into sensory overload. Between
shrieking children and the fans keeping the bounce houses inflated it was very
noisy. It was also super warm in there.
We found Connor and Brent in the back. Connor seemed happy enough
watching his classmates run around, but we were determined he wasn’t going to
just sit there and be an observer.
Clara climbed into the bounce house and Brent heaved Connor
up the slide to her waiting arms. They bounced a little in the house and then
she took him to the slide. We spent the next 45 minutes moving from one bounce
castle to the next repeating that pattern.
Clara climbs in, one of us heaves Connor up the slide, they giggle and
bounce a little and then slide down.
Twice, kids from his class came to bounce nearby or talk to Connor and
he loved that.
When it was time for food and drink, both kids inhaled
pizza, juice and cupcakes. After the snack, some of the other kindergartners
headed back out to bounce more, but the four of us had reached our limit. We
thanked the mom, said happy birthday to the little boy and stepped outside into
the cool, fresh air.
We had survived a bounce house birthday party. It took four of us, but we did it. Well, really Clara did it. Without her, I
don’t think Connor (or Brent or I) would have made it much longer at the party
and certainly wouldn’t have had as much fun. She makes everything fun, everything
possible.
