childrens parties

What is it about children's parties that brings out all the most annoying habits in your child within the space of ten minutes? They can be sweetness and light one minute and then as soon as the word party is bandied about the devil inside of each of them puts in an appearance.Its a similar phenomenon to that experienced at the supermarket checkout when sweets are spied by their ever present sweet radar thingy.
It was my nephew's fourth birthday party today at one of those play barn places, you know the places, with all the slides that secretly you really want to go on yourself but they make the route to the top so tortuously difficult for anyone who is either not four, or not a size zero (what does that mean anyway? if your a zero surely that means you are nothing?)
This place was totally geared up for super cool slim yummy mummies and uberdaddies to enjoy a latte while Quentin and Candida run away and play. I must have looked a right state with my just got out of bed hair(not in the fashionable way) and slightly snot soiled jeans. At least I was in good company with my sister and her friends! Sorry Sis only joking!
It wasn't particularly safe however, my lovely hubby kept pointing out exits where any child may escape unnoticed.Not to mention a flight of stairs with a gate at the bottom but easy access from the play apparatus (very sensible, because children always fall up those blighters don't they?)
Its saving grace was a wonderful wavy slide,like the ones you get at fairgrounds with the itchy mats to sit on, except there were no mats here. My daughter just loves those slides and so I asked my nephew if he could show her how to get to it, because steps on the side would be too obvious wouldn't they? "Nope" was the reply accompanied by a steadfast 'I'm a boy and don't speak to girls in front of my crew' look. Then his best mate pipes up "I will" and dashes off with 'The Girl' much to her cousin's annoyance!
The rest of the party was much the same, moments of the two of them being inseparable followed by a sulky daughter because her cousin wouldn't play with her! Then there was the wardrobe malfunction (juice down her front, absolute tragedy darling) which resulted in a cross child telling her mother to take off her fairy dress NOW
Then of course it was time to leave and we had the tears, tantrum, sulk, full on teenage strop (they start young these days don't they) and only managed to leave by promising her we would go to her cousin's house for tea on Monday (his actual birthday)
Oh the joys of children's parties, and we have to go through it all again in four months time!!!!