Someone tell me to take a deep breath!

[Insane]

I'm going like this....

My daughter's birthday party is booked for Sunday at the High School gym. Parents have called and confirmed. Just got a call from the City. We are being bumped out of the gym for a memorial service for the pilots who died in the plane crash (twin otter crashed in Yellowknife yesterday). Now I completely sympathize, not complaining about being bumped but..... where am I going to hold the party? And I can't reach all of her little friends (we invited the entire class and I don't have phone numbers!) How am I going to let them know of the venue change? They offered me any other school gym (but none are walking distance from the original school). I don't deal well with last minute curve balls. AAAHHHH!!!!

deep breaths, deep breaths.....

[gameprogirl]

OMG, I'm sorry, sounds crazy! Can you contact any of the kids on facebook or msn? What time is the party?

[Brandy Hunter]

Do you have friends/family who can help you bring the kids to another gym? Then you can get them to call their parents (assuming someone there will have a cell) and say that the party was moved.

Or get your daughter to post on FB, tagging her friends and telling them to tell the kids she doesn't have on there. Like a chain

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Can you post a sign on the door to the original school saying the new location?

Or perhaps there is a phone tree you can get your hands on?

Maybe just network and word of mouth will be enough, usually things spread pretty quickly.

Good luck, and BREATHE!

[krissiten]

Do you have even one address/phone number for anybody in the class? if you can get one person, chances are that person can get one person, then that one can get one...
Post poster board signs two blocks leading up to the building so they see with enough time "Party changed to <insert location>".
I highly doubt anybody is going to complain about the re-routing. It's circumstances far beyond your control.
Hope the party goes well, wherever it ends up being.

[Jody22002]

Community Center. The one in our neighbourhood only charges 25.00!!

As for notifying everyone....Facebook. If not the kids, the parents!!

[Insane]

She's 5, so she doesn't have Facebook and I don't have any of the parents on facebook.

But I do have the number for a couple of them, and you're right, they would likely have some of the other phone numbers! I hesistate to put on sign up. It would be so awkward, those who are mourning seeing a sign about a birthday party. But having a friend (or maybe my son) stand there and let people know would work. I mean, kids coming for a birthday party would stand out among those coming for a memorial service!

[anisa]

put up a sign. don't worry about it looking weird. you have to do what you have to do. no one will really notice or care i'm sure, but the parents there for the party will!

have a great party, i hope you can make decent alternate arrangements

[ninna]

oh....that's just plain awkward, isn't it? Geez. Others have posted some good suggestions-- esp the idea of someone alerting party-goers to the alternate location.

The only thing I can say is take a deep breath and be thankful that you're going to the birthday party and not the memorial service. Oh yeah--and while it' no consolation at this point in time, just remember that in another 20 years, this birthday party will be a funny memory you will have as a family--cuz it's life's glitches that always make the best of memories.

*big hugs n good luck!*

[Insane]

Very true Ninna. Thank you.

[KK7]

no advice lol just good luck

[Insane]

Well we managed to get ahold of every parent!!! So we didn't put up any signs. Felt there was no need since we talked to every parent who RSVPed!

A bunch of parents called us Saturday night and one parent called us 90min before the party to tell us they were coming. Who calls 90min before? Honestly we had like 4 families call us with less than 24hrs notice. We had already ordered balloons, bought stuff for loot bags. Fortunately, I had planned a few extras just in case.

The party was great. The kids had a lot of fun. Get home, there is a message from a parent. 3 parents were at the previous location! 3 parents hadn't even bothered to call to let us know they were coming!! I couldn't believe it. I only had enough loot bags and balloons and pizza ordered for the kids who called. If they had come I would have been short. Seriously who just shows up at a birthday party without letting the parents know you are coming? I would have had a panic attack if 3 extra kids showed up and I didn't have enough for them! I mean we put on the invitation to RSVP! I've decided I can't feel guilty about that. We scrambled and talked to every parent, if you aren't going to give us the decency to let us know you are coming, I can't feel bad about you showing up and there not being a party. (okay, I secretly feel a little bad, but I'm supressing the catholic guilt!)

What a gong show!

[Insane]

I should add...the one parent who called us (who didn't RSVP) came over and brought my daughter a present. They were super nice, and so apologetic. We gave them our last loot bag, and they came in for cake. So they were uber nice and weren't blaming us one bit.

[VeeVee]

I hate that ... It's like they are waiting to see if something better will happen if not oh let's just show up lol glad the party was a success!

[nanoush]

you know what?? My daughter is now 13 and my son 10 and it happens every years. Kids just show up without having RSVPed or, getting calls a few hours before. I just hate that. How hard is it to take the phone and call, really??? I make a point of calling wether my kid will attend or not. Last year, my daughter had a sleep over party and was only allowed to invite 5 because of the lack of space to sleep. The night before, we called 4 more because we only had 1 RSVP and guess what??? ended up with 9 kids showing up... I will never get it...