Well, heck. It took me all of these years of parenting, but I have finally achieved birthday party nirvana: a party that cost less than $300 all in, included a whole class of kids, was totally and completely low-key, and was over in 90 minutes flat.
(And right after I celebrated this success, I booked a water park party for Jack that is the opposite in every way, but you guys, I will do anything to avoid hosting a fifth grade sleepover).
Before the party, I spent 20 minutes tidying up the toy room and was delighted when even 12 year-old Harry decided to play cars. The kids all love a good tidy-up
Dorothy immediately started playing with a bunch of completely random toys that I skimmed from bins and threw in a basket I called random girl things. She told me this morning that random girl things is her favorite toy also they took over a pirate ship.
She and I ran around in our PJs grabbing last minute things like her cake and also some flowers
And! Did you know you could make a Party City balloon order online and then just go pick it up? Also it's cheaper.
Photo op props. (Which we totally forgot to have the kids use)
Cooper had a hockey tourney the morning of the party and got a medal. That he is still wearing and slept in.
Easy peasy party decor (that I ordered online and that came to my house in a box and that was genius)
The only evidence that Ben was even there.
READY FOR HER GUESTS!
These skills will serve him well.
The only activity I had planned besides the pinata death match was this super half-assed treat bag decorating. (Then I stuffed the bags with Pokemon books, whistles, glow sticks, and wands, figuring the kids could add their pinata loot at the end).
Books:
That Dorothy personalized with labels from the dollar store:
The same cake Cooper had when he wanted a Pokemon theme:
Eating! Literally the only thing they all did at the same time. (Also the menu was SO SIMPLE: Costco pizza, Goldfish (that I already had), pretzels (that I already had), yogurt tubes (that I would have bought anyway), fruit salad, Pokemon fruit snacks, and Capri Suns (that my doctor recommended to me before I even had kids because she said it's the only clear juice that never stains), HyVee cake, and little ice cream cups.
Ben LOVES children's parties.
CAKE!!
She blew the candle out without even meaning to. It was kind of anticlimactic.
After the candle, she needed to compose herself for a second before going downstairs to drop a shoulder and get some tootsie rolls.
Lining up for the pinata. VERY SERIOUSLY.
Madness!
CHAOS!
Madness!
I am so buying these sunglasses for myself. They look like a Gary Larson cartoon, and I love them.
She got tons of makeup and could not wait to put it all on her face at once.
I read this whole book while Ben made dinner after all was finally clean again.
Cooper laid with me and read over my shoulder while Dorothy had a LOL Surprise picnic. Also, Cooper can read YA fiction.
One of 3 new purses she got, this one filled with "essentials"
So fabulous.
Still fabulous the next morning.
I can't wait for 6!
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