It’s Thursday. The day of the joint swimming birthday party. S and his best friends H and B. It’s 1.40 in the afternoon and we should get going soon. So, checklist!

Birthday cakes: Check! 1 John Cena 1 The Undertaker 1 Rey Mysterio
Plates and cups: Check! Loads of different colors and shapes.
Swim Suites: Check!
Change of clothes: Check!
Sun Block: Check!
Sanity: Check! Will be left at home since it is bound to be lost when we get there. (there being my fathers house as they have a big pool)

At the last pool party we had there was a little girl who drove me mad. She could not swim and her parents sent her to a swimming party! With a nanny who also could not swim! And a life vest. So, she was only allowed in the shallow end of the pool. This little girl could not fathom the thought that the other kids could do something she couldn’t. How is it possible that she in all her glory couldn’t swim?! So she took off her life vest and started swimming (sinking). I dragged her out by her hair. She did it again and I forbid her to get back in the pool. The moment I turned my back on her she was running to the pool again! WTH! I then made her shower and put her clothes on and sit inside watching TV till the kids got out the pool.

Let’s see how this one goes. I imagine it will be like the last swimming party times 3 since all three kids are not in the same school so not many overlapping friends in common but themselves. Oh, and there’s a wedding I have to go to tonight! Need to find something to wear.

3 a.m. And I am back from the wedding waiting for morning prayer. I am sitting in our dimly lit living room in sweats and full hair and makeup looking just a little ridiculous.

(12 hours earlier) We got to my father’s house around 3. No one else was there yet (besides the birthday boys) and it was hot but not blistering hot so the kids changes into their swim suites and jumped in the pool.

We had one of those bouncy castle slide things right up against the edge of the pool and the kids could climb it and slide in. We also got a small inflatable wading pool for the little ones. There were inflatable toys for the pool, balls, bats, small football goals and the swing set, climbing frame and trampoline that are a permanent part of my fathers garden.

Baby B was put in the small wading pool and climbed out, not at all impressed by how wet it was. He was refusing to go near it again. So I sat down beside the pool and started flicking some water onto his legs which made him laugh. He then got comfortable enough to try to flick water at me. Then he stuck his feet in and sat down (fully clothed) and then we couldn’t get him out anymore. He loved it! It was set on the grass so it felt padded under his feet and he was having a ball. Jumping and splashing and falling.

Then he had his first ice cream cone. He held it all by him self and was licking the ice cream like a big boy. He bit the tip off the end of the cone and soon realized it wasn’t such a good idea. He was in a race to lick the top part of the ice cream cone and lick the bottom part where the ice cream was dripping onto his hands.

J found her friends and was happy as ever. S seemed to be just waiting for his guests to arrive. The cakes were my responsibility. So naturally I delegated. I asked Anne (our nanny) to organize the cakes and we sent the driver to pick them up in the morning. I didn’t get a chance to look at them before we left but Anne assured me they were great.

The kids started coming and (mashallah) didn’t stop till night fall. The pool was packed and thankfully this time all the kids knew how to swim. I was talking to the other mothers and we were all thinking the same thing… the kids have been swimming for hours now and hardly any of them had asked for a bathroom break… hummm.

S hardly moved all day, he stayed in the shallow end and seemed a little out of it. He then asked to shower and change and he didn’t want to swim anymore. He perked up a little when one of his classmates finally showed up but was still not 100%.

The kids seemed to really be enjoying themselves. One little child (probably just over 2 years old) walked up in front of where we were standing with his nanny behind him. He then weed. He was wearing swimming trunks and obviously no pampers. So we told the nanny (who hadn’t noticed) and she said “oh no” and held his hand while he shuffled in it. So we suggested she carry him and take him to wash him so he is not spreading his wee everywhere. She said “ok” and carried him off.

I went to check on J ad S and saw the nanny carry the little boy who had just weed himself and dump him in the little wading pool!! Not cool! I walked up and stared at her till she picked him up and took him inside to wash him properly. At least it wasn’t the big pool, a little harder to clean than the inflatable wading pool. I figured it was time for Baby B to have a bath and nap just about then.

Soon it was cake time and they brought them out into the garden and lined them up in a row. From a distance I looked at the cakes and felt like something was… off. When I got closer I realised… B’s cake was pink! S and H had brown cakes with the image of the wrestler they chose on them and very plain icing. B had a pink cake with fancy icing. And it also had a big 8 on it when B was actually 7.

I called Anne up on her mobile and said “Anne, B’s cake is Pink” Anne said: “It’s flame colored” I said “No, it’s pink” She said “No you don’t understand, it’s flame colored. Not so much pink as it is the color of fire” Me “If fire was pink…” Anne “It’s flame colored and that’s how we are going to sell it. I felt like there was something wrong but I figured no one will notice”

And guess what? NO ONE DID! He had a girly pink frilly cake and no one bloody noticed because a)it was dark and b) it had a picture of a wrestler on it. One boy did come up and “Aunty! Aunty! you know B’s cake? It’s Haram (against our religion)” I said “Why habeebi?” He said “Because Rey Mysterio has a cross on his mask! It’s HARAM!” I said “Don’t worry, the frilly icing has covered the cross so it’s all ok now”. This reminds me of the time some idiot told S helicopters are Haram because they have a cross on them (The blades).

So, we stuck the pink cake in the middle. lit the candles and sang happy birthday. The boys counted to 3 and cut the cake together and still no one was bothered by the “flame” colored cake! S had a tummy ache at that point and went up to the house to have a little rest. I remembered then that I gave J a drink from the same glass of water S drank from so I hope this is not something contagious or I will have 2 poorly kids tomorrow.

I headed home leaving the kids in the capable hands of my family. Had a power nap in the car. A quick shower and less quick hair and make up application later and I was ready for part 2 of my day. The wedding is one of my husbands closest friends wedding. So I was expected and I could not easily slip away before dinner.

It was fun and full of life as opposed to me. I was tired and deflated but thank God for makeup and the ability to smile even when dead tired. The bride looked beautiful, the groom looked happy, the mothers and grandmother and sisters and cousins were all so gracious and welcoming and were full of laughter and dancing and joy. And even though I was half asleep dinner was worth staying for.

I hear the call to morning prayer now and will go to wash. I pray that our days are filled with as much joy and happiness as today was even if it does leave us exhausted.