Let me start by telling you one of those stories. ALL of our parents have one of these stories. You know, the one that starts out with careful, painstaking planning of the perfect birthday party...
Karlin was turning 7. Karlin's whole world revolves around horses. So when I asked her what kind of party she wanted, she of course replied: "A Horse Party." So I got in touch with the lovely lady (Ms. Sue) who Karlin has been taking Pony Camp with for the last few years. She agreed to bring Patches the Pony out for 2 hours. Pony? Check. Then I had to find a place to have it. How about Lake Park? It's beautiful, they allow horses, and there are plenty of lovely shaded areas for the kids and the pony. Venue? Check. I tried to reserve a "picnic shelter", but they were all taken 6 weeks out. But no worries...Ms. Sue and I agreed that there were plenty of shaded picnic areas for the party. Then Karlin picked out the ensemble: the plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths, favors, and cake toppers. (By the way - I am quite proud that as favors we sent home 1 pony lollipop, and a color-your-own western bandanna that each girl got to personalize and keep. No bags of ring pops that stick to the carpet, stickers that end up all over the furniture, or bubbles that always spill somewhere.) Ambiance? Check. What time of day? Well, it's June in Florida, so only a numbskull would schedule a party during afternoon thunderstorms. How about 9:30 am - 11:30 am? Cooler temps, no rain, and the added benefit of not having to feed the guests an entire meal! Time? Check. Invitations? Check. Cute ones with a little pony and a little rhyme. We are good to go! 8 little girls coming, a horse, an aunt & uncle, a baby cousin, and a Granny and a Nanny. We are ready to ROLL!
So at 7:30 am on said day of party, I awoke, put my feet on the floor, and heard...Thunder. "Oh shit" I thought. "NO WAY is it going to rain today!" I immediately checked the radar, and it looked bad. Really bad. So I called Ranger Andy at Lake Park, and he told me that there was 1 shelter that was first-come-first-serve, and that as of 10 minutes ago it was empty. So Bart and Chase haul ass out there to secure the shelter. We load up the car, and get to Lake Park - no rain. Ms. Sue and Patches show up and set up - no rain. The first guests arrive just as...it starts to rain. And let me tell you, this was no gentle summer shower. This was a full-on Florida-kick-your-ass storm system, with brain shattering thunder and terrifying lightning to go with it. Not to mention the torrential downpour.
We did the best we could. We moved the tables into the middle of the shelter, and Ms. Sue and her husband Steve saddled Patches up and led the girls for short rides under the outskirts of the shelter. Then the lightning got worse, so we did the craft (bandannas), and ate cake. (Ice cream cake, because it was SUPPOSED to be 110 degrees outside, remember?) Then we did presents. Two of the girls' gift bags got soaked, and the bottoms collapsed. Then - in the last 20 minutes - the rain and thunder and lightning stopped. All of the girls got a nice long lap on the pony out around the grass. Karlin got to get up and show off her riding skills, including getting Patches to trot. Right at 11:30, the bottom fell out again - the monsoon was back. All of the girls and their parents were so patient and understanding. And I think most everyone had fun anyway. But still - so NOT what I worked my tail off for.
But as Ms. Sue said: "Kids don't have nearly the expectations that we do." And she's right. Karlin had a blast, and from (most of) the pictures you can't even really tell it was that bad.
How is it possible that I have a freakin' 7 year old?
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