mason's solo party outing

mason received an invitation to a classmate's 3rd birthday party a few weeks ago.  the party was going to be at pump it up and mason was pretty excited.  since i was ill this week, matt took mason to buy the birthday present he had already selected for his friend benji - a fake lightening bug in a jar.  (it is actually pretty cool.  you tap on the jar lid at the 'bug' lights up and 'flies' around very realistically.  there is also a monarch butterfly version.)

today we wrapped up the gift and got ready to go.  and that was when madelyn discovered that she was not invited. this was devastating news to her.  i explained that she was not invited and did not know benji.  i also assured her that she would be invited to birthday parties that mason could not go to in the future; she was more than happy to share this information with mason.


it has been a while since mason has been to somewhere with inflatables so i wasn't too sure how he would do.  he had no problem bouncing around, but it took him a few tries before he would come down the slide.  he would climb all the way up, look down and climb back down.  or he would get climbed over by some of the older kids and come back down.  he finally came down once he learned that he could slide down on his belly (his preferred method of sliding).  and he didn't stop sliding after that!

i think he spent at least an hour of the party sliding.  he would go try other things but always came back to the slide.  it just took that first trip down to get him hooked.  i am just thankful that i didn't have to climb up there with him!

another mom did help encourage him from the top of the slide - anthony's mom!  when she heard mason's name she asked if he was the same "mason" from the preschool class.  i guess she had a similar conversation with their teacher about mason and anthony's playing together. watching them today it was amazing how similar their personalities are!  mason was really excited to see him when we got to the party but i thought he was just surprised to see someone from school.

mason and his buddy anthony

the party was a lot of fun for the kids.  not so many that they were being trampled but enough that they were aware of other kids to play with in/on the inflatables.  the birthday boy is in the red striped shirt.

after playing, the kids were treated to pizza, ice cream and cake.  what was mason most excited about?  pink lemonade!  you could tell which kid doesn't get to drink juice on a regular basis!  i was almost embarrassed by how much he drank!  i actually had to cut him off.  when i asked if he liked his drink, he asked if it was lemonade. when i confirmed he smiled and took another big drink.

while the kids finished eating, benji got into the big birthday boy chair and opened his presents.  mason did come up to show him how the firefly worked and told them all about it, but then he went back to his cake and ice cream.  he was the last kid eating at the table.  i think picking up every crumb he dropped on the floor slowed him down a little.  that and drinking all of that lemonade.

mason thoroughly enjoyed the party.  in retrospect, i should have sent matt to the party because he would have had an easier time climbing around after mason - not that i had to very much but most of the parents were playing too.

when we got back home, madelyn was very excited to see what mason brought home in his goodie bag.  love.