This March my youngest child had her 10th birthday, and in our house double digits are a big deal.
I think we managed to tick all the boxes to give her a great birthday celebration.
The 10th Birthday Bedroom Update
First there was the growing up 10 year old bedroom update. The request was for a pastel green colour scheme with plants. I got extra brownie points for surprising Olivia with a sensory swing in her bedroom. Her eyes lit up when she spotted this when we revealed her bedroom to her on her birthday morning. She jumped straight into it. It’s perfect when Olivia gets home from school and needs to relax. It’s not so great at bed time when she doesn’t want to get out of it.
Celebrating Birthdays With Friends
It was a Friday school day so Olivia went to school where the class celebrated with cupcakes. Then she caught the bus home with a group of friends for a sleep over. Luckily it was a warm day and we have a pool, so I subtly got the kids to wash off the school stench by having a fun swim.
Then there was the sleep over that required what had become the storage room to be tidied, cleaned and decorated so the kids had somewhere for all the beds. This was a three day exercise. Lots of things were sent to charity, put away and there is still a box full of stuff that needs to be put away two weeks later. I tidied, I cleaned and then I threw a whole heap of purple bedding, pillows and cushions on the beds to make the room cozy.
Next the party decorations had to go in. I found a roll of green fabric at the op shop which we used to make a fort. This was pretty easy with the massive boat pegs we’ve won as prizes. They also made it easy for the kids to make alterations for movie time.
I did purchase some treat containers from a mainstream store since I couldn’t thrift kid safe containers that fortnight. These 10 year olds are super fun and I love them, but they love life and play hard so I didn’t want treats in a glass container. There was a glass water stand in the room because we know no one was pushing each other for water.
If You Can’t Stop Them, Let Them
Since the kids were all ten year olds and older I decided not to fight the midnight feast ambition. Instead I put a crazy amount of chocolate, lollies and chips in the room so they weren’t tempted to raid the pantry. I was glad to see the next morning that not everything was consumed. And at breakfast all the kids knew they ate too much sugar at the midnight feast. Hopefully that means they will take it a bit easier at the next party.
The BIG Birthday Party Activity
Finally there was the big party day activity. We went to Tree Tops where I thought I would get to sit down for a moment and watch the kids climb. But this out of shape, exhausted Mum didn’t read the conditions closely. I needed to climb and supervise the 10 year olds. Honestly, this was a ‘red tape’ thing for this group. The kids didn’t need me at all. I could have used their help. At the end of every course they were all waiting for me to catch up so they could go again.
I was pleasantly surprised that I got myself around the course, and the muscle pain afterwards did feel good. So good that I promised to take my 11 year old there for one on one time.
The best thing at Tree Tops is hearing everyone cheer each other one. Obviously there are parents on the ground and up in the course encouraging their children. But hearing my daughter and her friends encourage each other and cheer each other on was the best.
A physically and mentally challenging adventure like the one at Tree Tops is invaluable on so many levels. You see what I did there 😛
After The Party
After all the preparation, the two day party, the physical exertion and being center of attention my 10 year old fell asleep in the bunk room at 5pm whilst cuddling her bestie. Her Mum wasn’t that far behind her.
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