A Belated Birthday Party

Alexander's birthday in March. He wanted to take his friends to the movies. Unfortunately at the time there was nothing at the cinema that was appropriate. Easter Holidays arrived and a couple of movies came out, but we were in Scotland. 

 

I had read somewhere that Shrek 3 was coming out and Alexander really wanted to take his friends to see it, and he was happy to wait. So 3 months later, Shrek 3 came out at the cinema, and we took 9 kids on Saturday afternoon. 

I am sure all would have run smoothly if we had have read the newspapers, listen to German radio, watched German TV, and we didn't know that the Gay and Lesbian Love Parade was happening at the same time, and the parade went along the main road next to the cinema. 

Traffic was diverted, and parents in cars struggled to get to the cinema in time. Nicola and Emily got stuck in a diversion, and then had a car accident, where the ambulance staff put Nicola in a neck brace and sent them off to the hospital to be certain she was Ok. Thankfully they were both fine, just very shaken! If I had have known the traffic was going to be chaotic, I would have suggested that the kids get dropped off at our place and we take all the kids on the U Bahn. 

The kids enjoyed the movie, lots of laughing and then we took them for ice cream afterwards.  Note to self: take group photos of children before eating ice cream, which seems to make them go a bit silly! 

While they were eating their ice cream, the kids got to see lots of interesting people in interesting clothing, or lack of clothing!  Kids do not know how to be discreet, and spent lots of time pointing at different people and asking questions "Why is that man wearing a dress?" "I know that is a man in that dress, he has an Adam's apple" "Look, those men are only in their underpants" 

I had to explain the day to the parents for the possible questions they might have to answer later on that evening! We took Isaiah home with us, Gemma collected him later. On the U Bahn we shared a carriage with some men dressed in robes, with faces painted in a Star Wars way. Isaiah and Alexander were staring at them and talking.  

One of the guys noticed the kids staring and talking to each other and asked "Do you want to talk to us?". Isaiah replies "No, you look freaky"  Thankfully,  the guy had a good sense of humour and had a good laugh! 

 Alexander had a great time, and that's the main thing. We came home, and I had a nap!