WARNING never

and I mean NEVER let your 13 year old have a birthday party! Why not? I can just hear you all asking (thats if anyone reads this drivel) and I'll tell you, right here goes....

She says 'for my birthday can I have a party?
I say ' Why?'
She says 'Well I've not one since I was 10'
I say 'But 13 is it not a bit old for parties'
she says 'NO!'
I say 'Well when would you want it?'
She says 'On the Saturday dergh'
I say 'Well I'll be working the night before and on the night, what about me sleeping?'
She says 'You don't normally bother and if you go to bed when you get home you can go to bed til dinner time then get up'
I says 'Okay, so what do you want to do for your birthday?'
She says ' Well, go to the pictures then back here for tea'
I say 'Okay, how many?'
She says '5 or 6'
so quick calculation and decide thats okay £35 - 40 plus the cost of some pizzas and coke not too bad
So I agree and off she goes to do a list of who she wants to invite - she decides 5 - right, invitations are printed (by her) date sorted with the understanding that I try and get the day off work (but I had already booked the week off as leave I'd just forgot) so, invites go out and one of her friends has to decline so that's now 4 friends plus herself for the pictures, so now they have to decide what to see - will it be Run Fat Boy Run (DD wants to see this, its showing a 4pm so a good time) or Simpsons Movie (showing at 1.30 not so good) in the end they decide its Simpsons Movie so that means they arrive at our house for noon to get to the cinema for 1pm to get their tickets etc so I okay this, then a week later NO, no cinema she want the party here -they'll have some games (?) what games?? she sort it she says, anyway food and drinks are bought, the house and garden are decorated in a "Hawaiin Theme" and freinds start to arrive. Now remember when I started this waffle we were only expecting 4 well, a 5th friend turns up (the one who couldn't come as blah blah blah) anyway 1 extra no problem, or so I think, things are going well they're all out in the garden when I here a shout "Don't do that she'll get frightened" so I rush out to see whose getting frightened and its the rabbit, one of the girls decides she knows how to pick up rabbits 'cos she got 2 and they're bigger than this one, but she doesn't accept that DD rabbit is only a baby and as yet not used to being handled, anyway they get a bit of a talking to, (don't touch bunny, don't swing on the washing line etc and everything is okay again) so back to playing. So they have their tea and then the chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows and they all seem to friends again (by this time its 6.15 - only 3/4 of an hour before pick up time) everything is cleared away then the hormones kick in (or was it the chocolate) and its
DD 'MUM she just hit me'
Why ?
friend Cos she pushed me
DD Well its her fault as they've been mean to me and 'friend' ever since 'friend' got here and she wasn't even invited.
So DD flies upstairs to room and is sobbing her little heart out because uninvited friend has spoiled her party, other friend is huddled with univieted friend leaving the other 2 friends wondering what to do
Me - I can't wait for 7pm to arrive but somebody seems to have stopped the clock!!!!!!!
Then a car pulls up outside and its quiet friends Mum "Has it been okay?" she asks so I tell her the whole boring tale, then Mum of 'thug' friend arrives and takes thug friend home, meanwhile univited friend is standing behind me in the hall waiting for her Mum and looking at her feet, so I say "I thought you told DD that you couldn't come?" and she just carries on looking at her feet and shrugs, then her mum arrives and all the friends Mums are at the front having a bit of a pow wow stern looks towards the girls in various cars then rather sheepish looks and feeble waves in my direction before they drive off.
Back inside DD is still snuffling and threatening to ring the mums after and tell them what they've done so I tell her the next party she has will be when she's old enought to go out by herself and either walk away and come home or fight it out.
END OF - there will definately be no more parties for her at this house EVER.

Right got that off my chest, so anyone reading be warned 13 is not a good age for parties in the house.

On a brighter note me and DH are taking bets has to how long it will be before she's asking univited friend home for tea.

Kids - would have 'em.