Jack turned five this week! I'll spare you the emotional trauma this is causing me and skip right to the frenzy of the Backyard Bounce House Birthday Bash.

This marks my official entry into the "Birthday Extravaganza of Excess" where parties for these little tykes can rival the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. We've always had nice gatherings for relatives and friends, but this was Jack's first kids party for his classmates. Since he just met them and friendships really haven't been forged yet, I invited them all. 22 kids -- with the relatives party to follow right after. (Why use my ninja cleaning powers twice when I could do the mega house sweep for just one day? I swear, if not for parties my house would never be clean.)

When I told people about my plans, you'd have thought I announced I was going to walk across Niagara Falls on a tight rope -- with an aquarium full of stingrays balanced on my head. "The whole class?" they'd ask in a frightened whisper, followed by a barely audible, "at your house?" Yes, at my house. We have a big backyard and I wanted to get a bounce house and let them run around outside and enjoy our new swing set.

But this idea was a little like doubling down at the Black Jack table. The weather at the end of October in Western New York is unpredictable. It was in the 70s the day Jack was born. It has also snowed on that date. But we found a bounce house with a roof, and the guy promised he'd put it up whatever the weather. I knew the kids would have a blast whatever happened.

They're kids and that's what they do -- have a blast wherever, whenever. But I had a plan B up my sleeve if the weather kept us inside: crafts and games for our Thomas the Train-themed event. For better or worse, I googled "train birthday party ideas" and came up with far too many ideas. You would have thought I was planning the presidential inauguration with the preparations that went into this event, and not just a birthday party for our little prince. But those people who know that I had my grandmother spend 7 hours sewing a special trim to the bottom of my wedding dress would not be surprised to hear I was going to use duct tape to make railroad tracks leading up our driveway. That's the busy-body kind of thing I do.

Luckily these same people were ready and willing to help on the big day. Even Jack's teacher and classroom aide volunteered to come keep the kids in line. That offer actually gave me pause: If the teacher was concerned about pulling this off, I should be breaking out in hives! But we planned it out with charts and diagrams and brainstorming sessions. One of my pals talked over ideas with me each day at work. My grandma and mother helped clean all week. (How sad is that. It took a week to clean for the party and I was still shoving odd items into Riley's room the day of the party!) My sister-in-law, brother-in-law and mother-in-law all came early (bearing the last-minute items I frantically asked them to pick up!). My mom and grandma were there, too. Along with me and my hubby, we could surely pull this off!

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