Bouncy Houses are NOT just for kids!  In fact, I am not even sure if they ARE for kids!  Let me explain...first though, let me make clear on the point that this is an adult blog about a kid event, so the following narrative may not be suitable for First Graders!  

It all started when Don and I were planning the food to be served at Holden's 7th Birthday Party.  We had it brilliant plan...pizza, juice boxes, water and cake!  Then...being the health nuts that we are and the health nut friends that we have, we didn't want to subject our adults guests to the aforementioned fare;  we wanted to offer options.  I thought a nice, cool chicken caesar salad would be in order for an 80 degree afternoon in Arizona-this is where it gets splendid...juice boxes would not be an appetizing pairing, water is bland, but Rombauer Chardonnay would be PERFECT!  Now going forward when you see the parenthetical "(sip here)", I am henceforth referring to the cooler-chilled Rombauer Chardonnay and this is a participatory blog...so pause here and pour your Rombauer Chardonnay and read the rest of this blog with me:)

So here we are...back to my original premise, "Are bouncy houses for kids?"  Although Holden is 7 years old and having a Star-Wars themed party, a boucy house would be the final touch to a memorable birthday, or so one would think-it was highly suspect that this was a good idea and we were only 15 minutes into a 3-hour party. (Sip here)

A child comes running up the hill with blood pouring down his face...it's HOLDEN, the Birthday Boy!  The boy who is supposed to be having the time of his life and creating memories of this special day-ugh!  (Sip here)  Apparently, Holden, dressed as Darth Vadar was having a lightsaber fight in the bouncy house with Trinity, Princess Leia Organa Solo (born Leia Amidala Skywalker)-yes, I Googled that.  Understandable, now the proclamation that lightsabers are NOT allowed in the bouncy house!  Great!  Problem solved.  (Sip here)  Not so fast...there's more to come.  

Chatting and laughing with the guests and watching the kids enjoy themselves was averted yet again...here comes Jack with tears streaming down his face, blood on his mouth and chin, gasping in between sobs as he hyperventilates, "I lost a tooth!"  (Sip here)  Well, another child proceeds to accurately assess the statement, as First Graders do so astutely, "Well, the tooth is not lost, it's in the bouncy house."  (Sip here)  

Okay, the adults are starting to think this party is more than they signed up for, but they're committed and there is no way they are going to convince their assigned First Grader, that it's time to leave the party, so now the wine is being poured more frequently.  (Sip here)  We need to get through this party together!  (Sip here)  I am optomistic that this is probably the last sighting of blood and injury.  (Sip here)  I was only partially correct.  (Sip here)

Believe it or not, Dominick was to be child number three...sobbing and holding his head like it was going to fall off...he was kicked in the head in the bouncy house and proceeded to explain every detail of who, what, when, where, why and how-as First Graders aptly do so proficiently!  (Sip here)  This has gotta be it?!  Yes, I am not sure if I was certain if that was an exclamation or a rhetorical question, even as I thought it to myself!  (Sip here)  

Fortunately, it WAS the last injury and it was time for cake and ice cream, so all the First Graders ran up the hill to get their fill of sugar!  (Sip here)  At this point, my oldest son, Kenneth and all his Junior High friends ascended upon the bouncy house-it was THEIR turn at the jumping madness-all the "little kids" were outta there!

Following the pizza, cake and ice cream and presents, the party was officially starting to wind-down.  (Sip here)  The kids were playing at the park, the pre-teens were over at the volleyball courts and the adults had consumed their fair share of wine, well...at least I had, so now it was time for the adults to see what the allure of the bouncy house was all about...

This is where the video came in...a fun culmination of a fantastic party, despite the blood, lost teeth, bruised noggins, pizza splatted on the pavement, ice cream puddled on plates and bouncy house brawls!  We started jumping and having a grand ol' time, Don's laugh in the video is my favorite and forget that I was making sounds of ecstacy (didn't know the "record" button had been pressed yet, sorry!).  We had a great time and Holden did indeed have a memorable Birthday Party, as we all did!  (Final Sip here)