Monday, March 20, 2017

When planning ahead doesn't pan out

My younger two boys have birthdays that are just 9 days apart in February. We generally do a bowling birthday party for them in early March. This works well for us for many reasons. We have a small house and a big family. Most days trying to fit all seven of us in a ~750 sq ft house is a stretch. Add in close friends and extended family, many with heaps of kids of their own, and we're bursting at the seams. It's manageable in the warmer months when the kids can go outside. It doesn't work quite as well in the winter. Plus, I really like the idea of built in entertainment and minimal cleanup at a reasonable cost.

Yesterday was our day, but it didn't go without a hitch. Normally I am a procrastinator. I mentally think about what needs done and how I'm going to accomplish it, but I delay the final action. This year, I was ready. I called and booked our party two weeks in advance. I called the pizza shop and ordered our pizzas ahead for pickup. I was too lazy to bake cupcakes, so I got up early and went to the grocery for the cupcakes, drinks, and remaining snacks hours before the party. I even made it to the venue early to set up before everyone arrived.

I was so proud of myself. Until I arrived at the bowling alley and found the doors locked.

I figured we were scheduled for the first opening of the day. No big deal. As looked around the lot though, I realized there were no other cars. Panic started to set in as I got online and realized the hours I was told for the party didn't match the actual business hours, less than 10 minutes before guests were set to arrive. I made the decision to try to squeeze everyone into our house while we waited for business hours. My boyfriend got busy trying to tidy the house for visitors while I started notifying guests of the error.

Then my wonderful friends suggested we go to their house instead. They have a large home with lots of space for hosting guests. They hooked up a dance game and bubble machine for the kids and put the kettle on for the adults while I laid out pizza, snacks, and drinks. It worked out perfectly, and the kids had so much fun while the adults chatted. After a couple of hours, we were able to return to the bowling alley and get a few lanes at the birthday rate. As to the reservation, no one knows what happened there. I'm not sure if we ended up on the wrong calendar or under the wrong name because they couldn't find it anywhere.

In the end, we had 16 kids who had a blast, including two happy birthday boys. I was again reminded just how great my little circle of people are. Nothing beats loved ones who can lift your spirits in the chaos. I'm one lucky girl.

Bonus points for the almost-tidy house done in a mad panic when OH thought we were about to have a house full of guests. ☺

xx Beulah


Friday, March 17, 2017

And so it begins

After much procrastination, I've decided to dive into blogging.

Here, I'll share my family's journey as we push to live our dreams in a simple life.

Thanks for sharing our dream and journey with us.

xx  Beulah