You Know Your Birthday Party Is A Success When...

It's past 6 o' clock, the party's been going since 10 in the morning, and people STILL don't want to leave.

Those are the kinds of parties I like.

We got invited to a birthday party yesterday... very last minute, as I got the call the night before. But since it was for Boobie's best friend, we just had to go.

I was a bit worried about trying to find a gift before the party. I like to spend my time finding the perfect gift... and it does takes time. What do you get an 8 year old boy who has almost everything? I'm still trying to figure that out.

I also was a little bummed about missing my spinning class. But seeing as I had spent most weekends either stuck at home or running errands, a party was a nice change of pace. Besides, we had nothing better to do anyway. And you will never see me turn down a chance at free food and cake.

We're in winter in Costa Rica, so a lot of winter birthday parties start early to avoid the imminent downpour. The party was set for 9:30 in the morning. And as much as I LOVE sleeping in, when I can, on weekends, I was willing to sacrifice sleep for a party.

We set off after 10 (I wonder if we can ever make it to a party on time... damn Tico time... LOL). It was about 30 to 45 minutes away in La Garita, Alajuela, just off the highway, way past the airport. We hoped we wouldn't run into any traffic on the way there.... and as luck would have it, we didn't.

The party started slow, as most kid parties do. And since it wasn't a family party, I only knew a handful of people there.

But the place was gorgeous!!!!!!!!. It was a small 'farm' with big open spaces and lots to do. There was a basketball court, volleyball net, swings and slides and a pool, which my kids quickly took advantage of.

I enjoyed the nice day and the nice scenery. I spent most of my time on the swings, watching a HUGE army of ants collect leaves, and snacking my way to about 10 pounds. But the dark clouds started rolling in around 3, and I figured we would head home soon. After food and cake, the rains moved in, but the party got even better. Hubby and all the other men decided to re-live their childhoods by playing soccer in the rain, followed by a quick dip in the pool. A nice way, it seemed, to enjoy the downpour and a nice cold beer.

More food was served up (bar-be-que style), and Karaoke entered into full swing... I even took my turn at the mike (I was good, but could have been better... I just let my nerves get the best of me).

It wasn't until the rain finally stopped that we realized what time it was and started packing up to leave. But honestly, even though we hadn't planned on staying so long, we would have stayed even longer... despite the dark.