Life is so different for kids here

It was Alex's 12th Birthday today and he invited 5 friends round to do what boys do and make a mess between the hours of 2pm and 6pm. 7 friends arrived at 9am this morning. I've made breakfast, lunch and tea with snacks and drinks inbetween and they've entertained themselves all day with the X box, the pool, darts and badminton.
The boys that came called me Ma'am, despite my insitance they call me Suzanne and were very polite. They are all South African from birth and have lived here all their lives.....but there was one thing that drove me mad and in the end I sat them down and we talked about the differences between South Africa and England....you see they all have Maids and while their Parents are at work during the school holidays, the maids look after them, they come and go during the day, she fixes them and all their friends lunch and she tidies up after them.....the boys were so messy, not toys etc but with their food, they spilt drinks and left it there, they dropped food on the stairs where they were walking around...they weren't rude, they weren't lazy they just didn't realise what they were doing.....so when I explained I was the maid here and I'd looked after them all day would they mind helping me to tidy up?......no problem, they swept, they mopped and they picked up all the rubbish off the floor, they laughed and messed around and we actually had fun....loads of thank you Suzanne for having us, can we come back tomorrow?.....NO...I don't want to see you all till Monday..but I know they'll be back, as I heard them say to Alex, you're Mum is so cool, we need to come back and finish off the cake...to which Alex replied....she wouldn't be cool if she was your Mum..I let him off...it's his birthday.

Last Birthday Party

Today my youngest is 11, he's the one on the right. He wanted to go 10 pin bowling and invite his whole year group. I investigated the costs and with food for 20 and 1 game of bowls it came to approximately £200.
I wasn't prepared to pay that much, in the past hashe had a few friends round to play, have lunch then go home or I've hired the church hall made the sarnies and jelly and stressed myself out.

Having all boys they haven't been interested in parties, sleep overs or discos, since they went to high school. We were in San Fransisco for step sons 18th and eldests 18th, on 1st May, will be spent at Birmingham City for the last game of the season and a meal in China Town on the way home.

But this year I realised this was going to be MY last birthday party. Youngest is off to high school in September, wants a mobile phone for Christmas and keeps asking when will he be old enough to not have to come food shopping etc and stay at home.

I planned todays treat after consulting hubby, he wasn't too pleased with the cost, but when I explained it was for me more than youngest he agreed. He's already threatened to leave me if I mention having a baby again...lol

At 9am today, my friend and I took 5 children by train to Birmingham, solved crimes at The CSI Experience, ate in Macdonalds, came home to play football, xbox and cut the cake before going home at 5pm. There were no presents, as when son was asked by his friends parents what he wanted he was given money. We bought him a Mamod steam engine and a digital microscope and his big brother bought him Now 75 and he spent some of his money on Triops and a microphone for his disco set along with some CSI tape and now every room in the house is now sealed off.

There were no party bags to take home, but they all won a CSI t shirt today and had a happy meal toy plus a piece of cake.

The parents were grateful for getting rid of their child for a day and impressed with the stuff they bought back with them. All the parents offered to contribute to the cost, but I politely declined, although I did accept the chocolate, the flowers and the wine I was given...great and it wasn't even my birthday.

I totted the cost up today and surprised myself, plus hubby, when he rang to see how the day went.

With a rail pass, the train cost £18.75, the CSI experience was 2 for 1 (I tweeted we were going and they sent me a link to a voucher) total cost £29.25, Macdonald's came to £16.70 plus I raided the cupboards before we left for choc, crisps and pop. Group photo £7 + CD.

However, I'm tired now so have ordered in a Pizza for tea £15.99, eldest just reminded me to add cost of the cake £6.95 and I will print out 4 photos approximate cost £1 and son can write his thank you notes on the back. So todays party cost me a grand total of £95.64 and we all had a fantastic day.

Both kids and adults had a fun packed day, for half the price of the bowling which would've only lasted 2 hours, some lovely gifts (for me) and plenty of money for Alex.

This may be MY last kids birthday party, till the grandkids come along, and I have had a lovely day, no fights or squabbles and more importantly I had a huge hug from my son and a very big thank you which reduced me to a sniveling wreck, followed by 'Mummy can you let go now you're hurting me and I'm 11 now'..still calls me Mummy.