The Last Party

Cuyler turned eleven last Wednesday.
Yesterday he celebrated his birthday with friends.
It took me a while to figure out where to host it; I needed somewhere age appropriate for the friends he was inviting at the same time be able to hold Cuyler’s interest.
Cuyler’s first suggestion was to invite 8 friends over for a sleepover to watch a Wiggles marathon. I was pretty confident that, as much as they all like and respect Cuyler, none of them would have showed up for that. Besides, eight kids over for a sleepover? Nothankyou.
His second suggestion was Chuck E. Cheese. I decided after his last party there that I would never again have a party in that cesspool of noise, bad food and poor hostessing.
Campbell actually made the suggestion for where we ended up – Champs in Milton. Bowling, eating, playdium arcade.
It was perfect.

Cuyler bowling alongside his oldest friend, who he has been going to school with since preschool.

Good times with good friends!

Arcade fun!

Cuyler and the boy he refers to as his “best friend”. For good reason.

This birthday was a special one. The way we do it in our family is that after grade 5 and once you head into middle school, you don’t have a birthday party – so this was Cuyler’s last.
Cam usually invites a friend or two over for a sleepover, but the organized birthday parties are done.

As we were winding down last night and Cuyler was going through his gifts, he said “Thanks for my party, Mom. It was great!”
It was. It really was great.

I’m posting this group shot, despite the unfortunate rootbeer spill on the Birthday Boy’s pants.

Do you do organized birthday parties for your kids?  When do you stop with them?