Doomed cities, shrieking kids

Phase one of the Godzilla party. I started things off with a couple of kids, and very quickly a bunch of them made skyscrapers with the boxes. There were at least two Clock Towers, a church, an aquarium, and the Transamerica Pyramid.

Sophie and Thom drew doors on all the buildings “to make sure the people could escape.”

We did the dinosaur/egg treasure hunt: about 100 super cheap plastic dinosaurs hidden around the yard, and some plastic eggs with pennies and jellybeans in them.

Then cake. Then some more messing with the skyscrapers, and running around playing. They liked the Godzilla mountain, which was one refrigerator box and two washer/dryer boxes, duct taped together and spray-painted.

I had the big gate open and the driveway blocked off with my truck, so they could play in the driveway and front yard. The house was open too so there were always a few kids in the kitchen or in M.’s upper bunk bed. Kids played in the back of my truck a lot. They got into the swords and foam light sabers, and no one cried (minor attempts at whining, ignored with fair success.)

M. liked the cake. I got it from Safeway (26.99) with the “madagascar” theme anad then replaced the animals with plastic dinosaurs and godzilla emerging from the sea. (Ideally I would have made some skyscrapers, but, whatever.)

They drew chalk pictures on the driveway, spontaneously with godzilla themes.

I was super impressed with the kids’ creativity!

A bunch of them were getting the idea about the city-stomping. The rumor of water balloons spread throughout the crowd. Kids started demanding that we stomp the city, so I started the stomping half an hour earlier than I had meant to.

By this time they were totally ready to listen to me… and they got in the Godzilla Mountain and lined up in back of it in the driveway. M. got in the very front. (Last year, he never would have been so bold and assuming!) Then we screamed to release the Godzillas! M. began kicking over skyscrapers… The kids in front were unsure… I had to go drag them out and tell them to STOMP the boxes.

OMG total screaming mayhem. The grownups all screamed to egg them on. Even (most of ) the shy ones were roaring, picking up boxes and throwing them. Every box was stomped flat. Freckly little Amazonily was especially fierce and determined.

It was funny as hell.

I liked the thought that they got to be encouraged for once to be wild and unrestrained. They are old enough to know not to hurt each other. Thus… stomping. Doesn’t it also seem like a cool lesson? To make something really nifty, and build up tension, and then destroy it?

Then Rook put on a grey shirt, a bike helmet, and ski gloves. He was Mechagodzilla! I passed out water balloons. Well, no. A mob of screaming kids scrabbled around in some plastic bags, snatching water balloons and then hightailing it over to godzilla mountain which was menaced by MECHAGODZILLA. Near the end, Iz came up to me upset that all her balloons had bounced and been thrown back and then someone else got them, and none of her shots had told. So I gave her a cup of water and sent her off with instructions to pour it down Rook’s pants. This was gratifying to me on many levels. But was so, so, worth it just to see the insane gleam of joy in her eyes at being instructed by a grownup to do something terrible!

Ha!

After that I had no idea what to do with them. Half of them hung out with M. while he opened the ridiculously enormous pile of presents. The other half ran around like wild things, egged on by the equally naughty egger-onner, Merlin’s dad, and by M.’s uncle T.

I was laughing at one point thinking that the end of the party, with trash everywhere, with screaming mayhem, water balloons, wet clothes, and (likely) someone bursting into tears, would be timed right when all the parents came back to pick up their young sprogs. Perhaps some party frocks covered with frosting, mud, and shreds of balloon? But alas that didn’t happen. No party frocks. And the action happened half an hour too soon. That’s probably for the best!

Moomin enjoyed his party very much. He was incredulous that people from his class came.. I don’t think he believed that anyone would. He was touched by the presents and cards (beyond normal avarice). Like, “I didn’t think so-and-so actually liked me. But I guess he does! Because he came to my party! And he gave me legos!” Unfortunately Moomin is about to learn a hard life lesson that despite the Legos, so-and-so may still mock him at recess. But he enjoyed the rare (for him) sensation of being the center of attention.

I had a great time this morning setting up with Rook. I was stressing out about it earlier this week, but this morning was just fine! fun! and the party was fun. I got to see my ex-g Nada, and I totally love her… and her new baby, and Raffe, who kept yelling my whole name just like his mama does as if it would be impossible to refer to me any other way: “Badger Hemulen, look at me on the horse! Badger Hemulen Badger Hemulen, watch me! Badger Hemulen can I have some more cake!” He’s cute as pie! And his dad who is amazing and sweet… His other mom couldn’t be there. And all my other friends who stayed to help with the flow of the party, so lovely to see them, and get to host them …. sorry that the grown-up food was kind of lame and from Safeway… 😎

I loved, loved, loved, seeing the kids’ imaginations take off.