Kids birthday's don't have to be perfect

We went camping at Kelso Beach for my son's 7th birthday.  He loved it! That is the important thing.  His birthday was on a Sunday, but I made it a birthday week end.  I started with him waking up on Friday morning and coming down to some gifts.  One being a very inexpensive lego table, we made ourselves.  The next day we packed for camping.  If we forgot something, we were close to home anyway.  My sister and her family came and joined us.  We could not swim in the beach because the ecoli levels were deemed too high and it was said that we could enter at our own risk.  We let the kids dip their feet in.  That was good enough.  The sand was hard and did not feel nice between the toes.  The kids threw sand in each other's hair.  Oh well! I was going to enjoy smacking the sand off of them when we got into the car and hearing them shout "ouch, aghhh, owwww" then I would say "well, you should not have been throwing sand at each other".  Kids, loved every aspect of it: the sunny hot day, the coarse and burning sand, the dirty water, even being smacked down to get rid of the sand before getting in the hot, boiling car.  They enjoyed the hotdogs and unhealthy snacks.  Food that when we go camping, we just "put up with".  They ran around the field as the sun was going down and daddy was trying to light a fire and I was running after the kids trying to spray bug spray on them and myself.  They would sit and roast marshmallows and then say they don't like hot marshmallows and either throw it in the fire or give it to one of us.  For us, camping is a lot of work, especially for two nights!  with the possibility of rain and thunderstorms.  We pack, set up tent and food, feed everyone, get fire going, clean, pack, get int tent and sleep all to do it again the next day.

I was glad my son was so easy to please.  We had one couple friend with two kids come and join us at the camp site.  We had burgers, fruit, snacks and cake and gifts for my son.  In the evening, once our friends and my sister and her family left.  It started to hail and rain hard.  Tom's family piled into the tent and we waited it out.  At around 10pm, we realized that this weather would be all night, so we left our tent and belongings and went home.  We had a shower and all of us in our pj's in my son's room, watching the storm.  That was my favourite part of the week end.  Once we all fell asleep and slept well.  We woke up, got ready to go and went back to the campsite for a late breakfast, early lunch.  Let the kids play before we packed up everything and went to the beach.  We left and at home, we had the kids wash our car, while we unpacked, did laundry etc.  What a busy week end!!!

The point is my son had a wonderful birthday without the big playground, the gourmet food, all the friends (he only has 2) that we keep in touch with over the summer.  But, he had the "best birthday ever!" he said.  He ran around, tired himself out, went to the beach, got to be with his cousins.  All in all, it was a great birthday for him and very inexpensive for us.  Win win! All kids really want is to know they are special on that day, get a cake and some presents and get to have their favourite people there.

Things I did not have to worry about:
1.food
2. loot bags
3. RSVP's from parents
4. Activities and kid games, they entertained themselves
5. Not so nice kids that don't know how to entertain themselves and say "i'm bored" a lot.
6. Fairly inexpensive over all.

Now, glad it is over and what will I do for Sonja's?....I have 6 months to decide....