TIME is kind, isn't it? And you quickly forget the mind-blowing detail of creating a children's party.

Not that mine are tiny any more, but when Charlotte said that she didn't want an "expensive sort of 21st birthday bash" but a children's party, I was immediately acquiescent.

I though, foolishly as it turned out, that this would be cheaper and more fun. Well, it wasn't cheaper but, yes, it probably was more fun. But the planning ....

It all had to be done properly. Cute invitations "from Charlotte's Mummy and Daddy" had to go to guests. We themed it up as much as we could by insisting that the invitees wore "short trousers and best frocks" (although, with hindsight, this suggestion could easily have turned into a transvestite's worst nightmare).

We got the usual balloons and banners for 21sts, but also bought party bags. The filling of them proved problematical, though.

The last time I did this about 10 years ago, I went to a little corner shop and went through the "penny tray", spending quite a small amount of money for what looked like dozens of sweet red lips, sherbert flying saucers, red shoelaces, licorice sticks and assorted pink and green swirly things.

Instead, I had to invest in multi-buy packs of sweets and chocolate, but I did manager to find some sherbert flying saucers (which, naturally, I had to test copiously first).

Charlotte also wanted a chocolate hedgehog cake (created by my lovely sister), jelly and ice-cream, and "lots of things on sticks".

Her e-mailed menu suggestions looked about the length of our last tax demand, and just as forceful.

However, it was all worth it. On the appointed day, most of us chickened out of wearing shorts and best frocks -- apart from my sister and her husband who came in a hilarious assortment of clothes, complete with dirty knees and plasters (him) and bunches and a stroppy manner (her).

The food went down a bomb, the cake was a delight. And we played wonderfuly child-adult games like musical statues-volleyball with balloons. All aided, of course, by beer and wine.

For a children's party, it was certainly more fun than I remember. Although, of course, no-one was sick, none of the boys hit the girls, and there were no tears.

Well, the birthday girl's mum did shed a few when we sang "Happy Birthday", but so what?