Alexander turned 10 this month, and we had to choose what kind of party to throw. Alex likes to have a big party, of course. He wants to invite all of his friends from school and Scouts, and he wants family to come, too. Over the years we have had the parties at our house, at the bowling alley, and at Chuck E. Cheese. Some of his friends have also done mini golf, and the "fun center" nearby which has go carts, etc. All of the commercially hosted parties have the same issue - a lot of expense, and only a set number of kids can come. They usually are timed very tightly, too, so you are in and out and the kids don't really have a lot of fun to play. That is ok when they are small, but now they really need time to just be boys. We thought about having the party at our house again this year, but a hoard of 10 year old boys was too terrifying even to consider. In the end, we decided on a beach barbecue. We are fortunate to live reasonably close to Seahurst Park in Burien .
I am a middle-aged father of two. I work in Seattle and live in the suburbs. I do all of the normal Dad stuff. I am a Scout leader, I do outdoor stuff, I repair things, cook things, buy things, etc.