The (extremely goofy) adventures of Max

Entry 26: The Chaos of Sammy's Birthday Bash

Sunday, May 26

Today was Sammy's big day, and let me tell you, it was like a tornado of sugar and noise swept through our house. I woke up to the smell of chocolate cake and balloons everywhere. Mom and Dad were in full-on party host mode, running around and shouting things like, "Who left the chips on the couch?" and "Where's the gift bag with the robot toy?"

Sammy was so hyped he could barely sit still. He kept bouncing around in his new "Birthday King" T-shirt that was at least two sizes too big, making him look like he was wearing a birthday-themed tent. By 11 a.m., the doorbell started ringing, and the invasion began.

The house was suddenly filled with about twenty 10 and 11-year-olds, each one more energetic than the last. There were kids racing down the hallway, a group playing video games at full volume, and a few screaming over who got the bigger slice of pizza. I tried to stay in the background, offering help only when Mom gave me the look, which meant I had to play the role of "Cool Older Brother" and referee whatever argument was happening.

At one point, Sammy and his friends decided to have a Nerf gun battle in the living room. I don't know whose bright idea it was to hand out foam darts to a room full of pre-teens, but within seconds, it was like being caught in a hailstorm of plastic bullets. I joined in for a bit, ducking behind the couch and pretending I was in some epic action movie. Sammy loved it, so I guess it was worth getting ambushed by three kids who yelled, "Get Max!" all at once.

Finally, it was cake time. Mom brought out the cake with eleven candles, and everyone sang off-key while Sammy looked like he was ready to explode with excitement. He made a wish so fast, I swear he might have just wished for more cake. The moment he blew out the candles, the sugar rush reached a whole new level, with frosting ending up in places frosting should never be.

By the time the party ended and the last kid was picked up, the house looked like it had been hit by a confetti hurricane. Sammy was grinning from ear to ear, clutching his new stack of presents like they were gold. I have to admit, seeing him that happy made the chaos worth it.

As for me? I'm just glad I survived without having to mop up too much soda or dodge more foam darts. Now it's back to reality tomorrow—school, science projects, and counting down to the end of the year.