Hosting a 6 year olds birthday party at home is hard work!

Yes, this Saturday Barney had his sixth birthday party. Although he isn’t actually six until Tuesday.  He was insistent on having a party, but I knew that a huge big town hall affair like the other kids had wasn’t going to be good for him.  So we decided to invite a few children to the house for a relatively quick (2 hour) party.

Just before the children arrived Barney realised he had swallowed his wobbly tooth!  Hence his face in this photo.

The party went pretty well. He got lots of lovely presents and all his school friends were really well behaved.  Marty took charge of organizing the games; pass the parcel etc.  There were moments when I could tell he was trying his best to cope with things. Like when he was opening his presents and some of the boys kept letting balloons off around the room. It was stressing him and he complained, but he held it together.  The only hugely memorable ‘aspie’ type moment was when all the children went up to his room to play.  Marty and I stood outside the room to listen in.  Barney was shouting at all the children to sit in a straight line in front of the bed whilst he went though his ‘bedroom rules’.  I could hear the strain in his voice as kids kept messing around and talking over him. To his credit he got them all to  sit quietly and listen!  He went though 9 rules before I had to come in and let the children be free again.  Marty and I were actually quite torn standing outside the room listening to this poor child trying to get everyone to play the way he had envisioned it. 

But aside from that he had a really great day. He has been in great form today, playing with all his new toys.  And he still has his real birthday to look forward to on Tuesday.