The birthday party

I can think of better ways to spend my weekend, but here I am volunteering to host a party for a co-worker who has always been there for me whenever I needed her. Barb had broken her arm when she slipped and fell on a patch of ice during a snowstorm. She could no longer afford to supervise the birthday party for a group of fifteen (eight year olds) as planned. Feeling obligated, I volunteered to help the Social Committee by offering to become the new hostess. The party was to be held in two days, on a Saturday between the hours of 2pm - 6pm. No problem I told myself as I prepared to decorate the party room the night before. With lots of helpers, we were able to decorate the party rooms in quality time, and felt really good about the results when we were finished. I completed some last minute shopping the following day, and reached the party room an hour before the guests arrived. By 2pm most everyone was accounted for, and the children and I played games until the others showed up. By then it was time to sing happy birthday, cut the cake, and open the gifts. We all had lots of fun, and by the time the parents came to pick up the children no one wanted to leave. Everything went well, and I even had some of the parents help out with the after party clean up. The children were well behaved, and the parents were real decent. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would do it without hesitation.