Anna will be 12 on March 1. She is only inviting two good friends from school and the kids that live in the loop where we live. There will be a total of 8 kids, 6 girls and 2 boys. All the kids in the loop play together almost everyday and have always been invited to each others parties. The birthday parties in the past 2 to 3 years have been at a skating rink. There aren't a lot of party places for kids in this area. There are tons of them in Memphis, but I had rather not go there. The kids in the loop have had sleep overs in the past, but not for birthday parties. The ones that have had them are sisters of the 2 boys, so all the kids, girls and boys, have been at the same sleep overs.

There will be 2 other parties in the month of March and most likely they will be at the skating rink. Anna's party was going to be late last year because I couldn't get off from work to have it near her birthday. Her mother died March 10 and it just didn't seem appropriate to have a birthday party after that.

Anna doesn't want to go to the skating rink. There's a really nifty farm not too far away that has b'day parties along with a petting zoo, face painting, a barn that is full of stuff to do and hay rides, but it doesn't open til the middle of April. It's actually where we were going to have her party last year. Anna's mother's birthday was in April, so once again I'm afraid waiting til then would just be too sad for Anna.

She would like to have a sleepover b'day party this year. I thought I would get some silly string and let the kids have a couple of cans each to squirt each other in the front yard then serve some pizza, rent a movie, but then what? The party will start about 5 o'clock and the boys will go home at 9 o'clock. I feel so guilty about sending them home, but I feel strange having them stay overnight. We don't have an extra bedroom and Anna's room is the only room upstairs. They will close the door because the dogs will be up there bothering them if they don't. If our dogs were small I wouldn't worry so much about it, but Luther weighs 130 pounds and is extremely playful. I just don't think they should be up there with the kids.

If it was an all girl party they could have a beauty parlor party or something along that line. I would have someone come in and give them manicures and pedicures etc. Since boys are invited I'm really at a loss as to what to do. My dd will be 42 tomorrow so it has been a long time since I've done b'day parties.

Does anyone have a suggestion about games, entertainment or anyway to send the boys home at 9 without hurting their feelings? I am going to serve breakfast the next morning and they are welcome to come back over. They are just across the street. I just hate for them to miss out on the goofy stuff the girls will do once they are in Anna's room for the night.

Linda