Surviving the Domestic Jungle

My daughters birthday is coming up and we have planned to have her birthday at the local Zoo. I told Avery she could have 10 of her school friends and then cousins and out of town friends. I have to pay the discounted admission for all of the kids so I didn’t want too many! Her teacher informed me that she had to invite the whole class if she wanted to pass out invitations at school. What the heck is this all about?! When I was a kid you took the invitations, bada boom, bada bing…done! Now you have to invite the WHOLE class?! I am not footing the bill for a class trip! There are 23 kids in her class! I’m hoping the teacher is mistaken because that is the craziest thing I have ever heard. Birthday parties cost enough as it is. I’m actually a little pissy about this because who is the school to tell you who you can and cannot invite? I understand that it is on their property that the invitations will be passed out but still this just seems wrong. Her teacher said she would double check and if they say it has to be the whole class, I will invite the whole class but put in the invitations for the kids she didn’t want that there is a $5 charge for admission. Kind of screwed up but 23 x $5 admission = $115 just for her friends to get in! Not including all the food, drinks, cake and decorations for 23 people! And that is just the kids from school. Between family members and out of towners, it will be a heck of a lot more than that and I don’t know what else to do about this. I guess I will just wait to hear back and see what happens but man times sure have changed…

UPDATE:  I spoke with Avery’s teacher and she must invite the WHOLE class to be able to hand them out at school so I guess that is just the way things are even though I disagree with them. I hope that some kids are busy that day or this is going to be a very expensive party!!