The Build-Up to the Big day

This was the week when Number One celebrated turning five, and while I obviously wanted to mark the occasion, I feel it’s all got a bit out of hand. Somehow, the whole thing has turned into the queen’s jubilee, onyl minus the problematic historical connotations.

The preparations began with a flurry of cake orders: One Spider-Man themed cake, a homemade cake made with Mammy’s special ingredient (tears, naturally), and a cream sponge, which Number One only picked at, despite declaring his adoration for cream just ten minutes prior. Much like Irish politics,opinions in this house change like the wind.

Sandy feet farm: A Five-Star Venue in Castlegregory

What set this birthday apart was that it was the first time we had a shindig with Number One’s little friends, and I, admittedly, braced myself for the inevitable chaos. A West Kerry petting farm, called Sandy Feet in Castlegregory, was the venue of choice. It was so lovely that I nearly booked a vow renewal there for my husband and me.it has nothing to do with the status of my marriage; I just want to go back and avail of the five-star service.

The staff at Sandy Feet thought of everything. the in-house mouse, Stuart Little, worked overtime, happily accepting rubs from a gaggle of five-year-olds. No doubt, like me, he was only fit for the bed afterwards.

Ziplines, Pizza, and Cake-Cutting Mayhem

The party itself was a huge success, one of those rare days in life where things really couldn’t have gone better. The zipline, however, proved as chaotic as you might imagine at a five-year-old’s birthday. The concept is simple: You jump on a frisbee attached to a rope and hope for the best. The intensity with which the children clung to the zipline was hilarious,given that at its highest point they were merely two feet off the ground,but two feet is considerable when your height stands at three.

We had pizza and pasta galore, with the proprietors cleverly putting sauce and cheese on the side – a clear sign they’re seasoned party professionals.

Cake-cutting was much like vultures descending upon a corpse, only with less association. It was a free-for-all.