Constance
Master Chef
ironchef said:So no girls...then I agree that video games would be the way to go, along with some "guy" DVDs like American Pie, Van Wilder, etc. Just make sure you have enough controllers or buy one of those multi-taps where you can hook up a lot of controllers so they can all play. Night football or basketball is also fun. I don't think you want to do any actual games. They're gonna think it's lame. Or you can invite some girls over. That will always make a party interesting. And invite them over after the boys have watched American Pie. Hahaha!
You're pretty in touch with what the boys will like, Ironchef, except I'm not so sure about the choice of movies. What I did was take them to the video store and let them pick out some games and movies. Guys brought their own controllers, and usually an extra Play Station or X-box. And then, we had the computor, where they either played games or IM'd with friends.
They also played poker...that may just be a local thing.
A few suggestions:
When we weren't watching, the boys were known to pulled up porno on the computor, too... something you might keep an eye on. They never could figure out how Kim could track where they'ed been on line.
I don't recommend inviting girls. That's asking for trouble. Girls that age are not only more mature than the boys, but in this day and age, are quite liberated, and not shy about it.
Have LOTS of sodas...they drink them like beer.
And lots of food. I usually made them some finger foods, often ordered pizzas, but mostly just kept a lot of stuff on hand they could do themselves...chips and dip, of course, some fruit (bananas and seedless grapes), as well as Kim's venison sausage with sliced cheese and Ritz crackers.
Kids love to explore the freezer and find frozen things they can pop in the nuke or the oven. You wouldn't believe how many Totino's Pizza Rolls we went through. Also popular were the mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, Hot Pockets. Just don't have too large a variety at once, or they'll open every box and leave out what they don't eat.
If you want to cook something the kids love, go for burgers and hot dogs on the grill. And make a lot.
I loved doing it, but now I'm glad it's you and not me!