Party time!!

Last weekend was what I always think of as the beginning of the social season here in NZ. End of October/beginning of Nov is the time that people have their first BBQ and it's halloween and guy fawkes and diwali so there's lots of celebrating and fireworks.

Saturday we went around to my friend K's parents place, they are in Fiji and K has a new beau so they were house sitting and having a big bbq. We took the kids and only expected to stay for an hour or so. But the kids were amazing! They were the only littlies there and they shone! Bax chatted away to people in his mongolian/pidgin and Izzie giggled and cooed and got passed around and was the kind of baby that made all my childless girlfriends sigh and say "I want one!" Then dinner was served at 9.30 and Bax sat up with G at the dining room table to eat and all the other guys there sat with them and chatted.

We ended up staying til 10 and neither kid grizzled, cried, had a tantrum or anything.

Next day I took Bax to a birthday party in the afternoon and the whole way there we sang funny songs about parties that we made up ourselves and I could hear him behind me int he car singing "Party party party"

At the party Miss O was in attendance so Bax was thrilled and the two of them cruised around eating and playing with the Big Kids. I was very proud of Bax, he gave the birthday boy's older brother his little present without trying to open it himself, he didn't try to steal the gift-car from the older brother when he went to play with it on the deck, when the presents were opened he did NOT dive in and try to help, and when all the presents were opened and there to play with he quietly went and played with the toy box of old toys before joining in with the others to play. He played with the Big Kids on the stairs and did not cry when they did things he couldn't quite do. He ate piles of marshmellows and chewy snakes.

He loved the party and I think it was the first time he really understood what it was all about.