reception: the start of the summer term
The Bun is having a busy time in school this term. He's got a theatre trip this Wednesday, he's learning how to play football (I think in preparation for sports day in June), he's going to start his first after-school activity club (called playground games) this Thursday, and together with his classmates, he's rehearsing for the Lower School production, a musical version of The Rainbow Fish.
He's also been to two birthday parties in five days and was bouncing off the walls with a combination of sugar and excitement. The first party was for the twins whose very generous parents hosted an epic Halloween bash last year. I guess many parents expected an equally cool follow-up to that because the hostess told me that all but one of the kids in both classes turned up for the party. That's an excellent response rate.
Instead of hosting the party at their home (maybe they've learnt their lesson after the chaos of Halloween) the family chose an outdoor venue just a five-minute drive away from school. The place was perfect for the thirty-three kids who turned up because it was owned by a distributor of outdoor playground equipment so there were tons of display models for the kids to go crazy with. A small group of children's entertainers was also hired and they organised the games and prizes, performed a magic show, made balloon sculptures, and supervised all the inevitable rough-housing and fighting. This was definitely money well-spent because it freed the adults to chat with each other and help themselves to champagne and beer (essential for any kids' party).
Hot dogs and magic shows.
I didn't take Bao with me because I knew that she would insist on climbing up the huge playground forts with the rest and get trampled by all the kids. There was also no point dropping The Bun off for two hours while I drove home and back to fetch him, so I relaxed in the sunshine, watched the horses trotting around the pasture next door, chatted to some people, and helped the hosts serve the food to thirty-three hungry kids. Although they're very wealthy and could probably hire caterers without a second thought, they decided to go the DIY way. The mother baked the cakes (one for each twin, plus a mound of cupcakes for the classrooms during the school day) and the father grilled hotdogs and burgers while the kids played. Nice and homely.
Today's party took place after school at the school's After School Club. This was be the first party that The Bun attended all by himself without me accompanying him. It may seem like nothing to shout about but for timid, resistant-to-new-things Bun it's a step out of his comfort zone. Even though it was held in school and it was also the birthday of one of his buddies, he refused to go when I first told him about the invite. I didn't push the issue and decided to wait. After he came home from school that day he declared that yes, he wanted to go to the party. I'm sure the birthday boy and all his other friends were talking nonstop about the party and he didn't want to miss out.
So I collected him after the party was over and saw on arrival that he was having a good time. He told me he didn't have a birthday cupcake because they forgot to give him one, and when he asked for one apparently no one heard him. It's a lesson for him I guess - I told him that he would need to raise his hand or pat the parent's arm lightly to get their attention and then ask.
The Bun's personality is such that he doesn't trust others easily. With people in his inner circle, he's a boisterous, cheeky kid. But with everyone else, he is meeker and more hesitant, which probably explains why his school reports describe him as quiet even though he's hardly so at home. I've been pointing out to him that other parents and teachers will always help the children if they ask, and he needs to learn this if he wants to go to more birthday parties in the future. After all, I can't always accompany him for parties when most of the parents just drop off their kids and collect them later after the party is over. Do kids' parties work this way in Singapore? I don't have many friends with children and The Bun didn't go to school back when we lived there, so all the birthday parties he attended before moving here were either family affairs or those organised by playgroup, which generally presumed parental accompaniment.
Anyway, his birthday is coming soon, but since he's a summer baby his birthday falls during the school holidays and he won't be able to celebrate the actual day in school with his friends. I would like to throw him a party a month early, just before the summer holidays begin, but I'm apprehensive about handling fifteen rambunctious kids, organising games, food and the like. We definitely cannot host it at home because the noise that the children generate will get us evicted. After watching enough parties on the sidelines I know quite well the hijinks these kids (especially the boys!) are capable of, so I may well cop out and pay for a party venue that comes with people who will organise everything for me.
He's also been to two birthday parties in five days and was bouncing off the walls with a combination of sugar and excitement. The first party was for the twins whose very generous parents hosted an epic Halloween bash last year. I guess many parents expected an equally cool follow-up to that because the hostess told me that all but one of the kids in both classes turned up for the party. That's an excellent response rate.
Instead of hosting the party at their home (maybe they've learnt their lesson after the chaos of Halloween) the family chose an outdoor venue just a five-minute drive away from school. The place was perfect for the thirty-three kids who turned up because it was owned by a distributor of outdoor playground equipment so there were tons of display models for the kids to go crazy with. A small group of children's entertainers was also hired and they organised the games and prizes, performed a magic show, made balloon sculptures, and supervised all the inevitable rough-housing and fighting. This was definitely money well-spent because it freed the adults to chat with each other and help themselves to champagne and beer (essential for any kids' party).
Hot dogs and magic shows.
I didn't take Bao with me because I knew that she would insist on climbing up the huge playground forts with the rest and get trampled by all the kids. There was also no point dropping The Bun off for two hours while I drove home and back to fetch him, so I relaxed in the sunshine, watched the horses trotting around the pasture next door, chatted to some people, and helped the hosts serve the food to thirty-three hungry kids. Although they're very wealthy and could probably hire caterers without a second thought, they decided to go the DIY way. The mother baked the cakes (one for each twin, plus a mound of cupcakes for the classrooms during the school day) and the father grilled hotdogs and burgers while the kids played. Nice and homely.
Today's party took place after school at the school's After School Club. This was be the first party that The Bun attended all by himself without me accompanying him. It may seem like nothing to shout about but for timid, resistant-to-new-things Bun it's a step out of his comfort zone. Even though it was held in school and it was also the birthday of one of his buddies, he refused to go when I first told him about the invite. I didn't push the issue and decided to wait. After he came home from school that day he declared that yes, he wanted to go to the party. I'm sure the birthday boy and all his other friends were talking nonstop about the party and he didn't want to miss out.
So I collected him after the party was over and saw on arrival that he was having a good time. He told me he didn't have a birthday cupcake because they forgot to give him one, and when he asked for one apparently no one heard him. It's a lesson for him I guess - I told him that he would need to raise his hand or pat the parent's arm lightly to get their attention and then ask.
The Bun's personality is such that he doesn't trust others easily. With people in his inner circle, he's a boisterous, cheeky kid. But with everyone else, he is meeker and more hesitant, which probably explains why his school reports describe him as quiet even though he's hardly so at home. I've been pointing out to him that other parents and teachers will always help the children if they ask, and he needs to learn this if he wants to go to more birthday parties in the future. After all, I can't always accompany him for parties when most of the parents just drop off their kids and collect them later after the party is over. Do kids' parties work this way in Singapore? I don't have many friends with children and The Bun didn't go to school back when we lived there, so all the birthday parties he attended before moving here were either family affairs or those organised by playgroup, which generally presumed parental accompaniment.
Anyway, his birthday is coming soon, but since he's a summer baby his birthday falls during the school holidays and he won't be able to celebrate the actual day in school with his friends. I would like to throw him a party a month early, just before the summer holidays begin, but I'm apprehensive about handling fifteen rambunctious kids, organising games, food and the like. We definitely cannot host it at home because the noise that the children generate will get us evicted. After watching enough parties on the sidelines I know quite well the hijinks these kids (especially the boys!) are capable of, so I may well cop out and pay for a party venue that comes with people who will organise everything for me.