Party of 9!!

Wednesday night we went to pick up the kids from their dad after church, and came home with 3 additional kids! Trystan and Riley were having a sleepover with their friends! Riley has been wanting to plan a night/day where a few of his friends could come over for his birthday. Riley's birthday was June 26th and 2 days later my Nama passed away. We were in Fresno for a week after Riley's birthday, then we had 4th of July, our family vacation, the kids went to Oklahoma for a week, and multiple other events so Wednesday night was the first night that would actually work for all the friends to come over.

Riley had 5 boys come over and Trystan had 1 girlfriend. Once all the kids left last night, I started figuring out how much food I cooked in less than 24 hours!

• Homemade Queso

• 10 Hot Dogs

• 2 Sandwiches

• 4 Homemade Pizzas

• Nachos

• Chicken and Mushroom Risotto (for Jason and I)

• Eggs, Bacon & Toast

• 3 gallons of Iced Tea

It was a LOT and I was exhausted...but I wouldn't have it any other way!!! I love to see our kids interacting with their friends! Friendships are so important and having your kid's friends into your home is important as well.

One thing that helped the party be a success for us was having a discussion with all of the kids up front. We wanted them to all feel comfortable in our home. Most of the kids had never been to our house before, and probably didn't know what to expect. As the parents, we don't want kids to be afraid to be themselves in our home!

Recommendations when planning your party:

1. Set a few rules/boundaries (don't go overboard! This is supposed to be fun for the kids)

2. Don't let the kids just sit and do nothing, engage with them and plan activities

3. Let your own kids get out of their normal routine

4. Have PLENTY of food and drinks available!!!

While I prefer to have the kids bring their friends over to our house, I'm also ok with my kids going and spending the night at their friends houses as well.

I do my homework, I make sure I know the parents, I don't just let my kids go and do as they please, but spending the night at friends houses is important.

A few reasons why I say yes to spending the night at friends houses:

1. I believe it enhances my kids self esteem - allowing the kids to go spend the night somewhere other than my house or dad's house shows the kids that I trust them.

2. It gives the kids a chance to experience new things - being in someone else's home that might have a treehouse, or a trampoline, or a mom that makes smiley face pancakes for breakfast are all things that don't happen here at our house.

3. They get to experience how others live - maybe they will get to experience a different culture, new food options, younger or older siblings, pets, etc.

4. Sleepovers means MEMORIES - usually a sleepover means you are all piled on couches, or in sleeping bags/pallets on the floor, it means you get to stay up super late with your friends, it means snacks and treats and goodies that are the norm! It means getting away with a few little things that would normally be a "no-go"!

5. It helps your kids to learn how to create a life outside of family - yes, family is so very important, but at some point your child will need to learn how to build relationships with others. Spending the night at a trusted friend's house means your kids are building a team of people who will love and support them, outside of family.

Yes, you have to be careful who you send your kids off with, but once you know your kids friends and families...let them go and build some great memories!! Or invite all the kids to your house and build some memories with your kids and their friends!

You won't regret it, I promise you!! And your kids will thank you for it!!