Things Not to do at a Six Year Old's Birthday Party

1. Do not leave ground floor windows open. Since I was cooking in the kitchen and that stupid smoke detector was going off when nothing was burning, I opened the window. I soon found several of my 6 year old guests as well as my son escaping out the window. They were playing some tag or hide-n-seek game. Since we had two operational doors, why they were escaping out windows eludes me but well they are 6 and boys.

2. Do not have a chocolate fountain. We borrowed this chocolate fountain for dipping fruits into and thought it would be cool. Well, my husband got the brilliant idea of dipping marshmallows in the chocolate. Need I say more? Well if I do, the boys had a sugar rush in less time than it took for you to read this. And they got chocolate on themselves, the table, the floors and probably their parents. I know it was on me.

3. Don't believe them when they tell you they like reptiles. My son wanted the reptile show where they bring the live animals to your home. Well the first one they brought out was a junior alligator which sent my son scurrying to hide under the table. After several empty threats and after the alligator returned to his box, he came out but only to hide at the sight of most of the other animals including the snakes. To be honest quite a few of the kids were worried about the alligator.

4. Don't think that they will eat anything. My son was much too busy running and playing in the bathroom with all his friends and cousins to eat anything other than well chocolate covered marshmallows. After all that time and money spent on food and cake my son went to bed with a stomach full of cereal.

5. Don't put a cake with toys on it within reach of little hands. Although they were patient enough to wait until the birthday candles were blown out, hands immediately reached for the desired toys and went home with I don't know who. I don't think my son was too upset about it but still.

6. Don't think that you can escape without cuts and bruises. Besides the bloody lip, and tears during the pinata (those among the guests) my husband and I both somehow ended up with bruised feet. I think that that is just begging for a vacation off my feet for at least three days. Anybody? I guess it's just me then. Oh well back to the daily grind.