a peek inside the fishbowl

We hosted a birthday party for Sarah on Saturday, hence my need for deep decompression yesterday. She’s officially turning five tomorrow. Five. Five! I can hardly believe it. I will lament some more later, but for now, more about the party.

I am not the best party planner. I guess it’s because I have distinct likes and dislikes about the whole process. Invitations usually go out a little late. I don’t really care for “themes,” but I do like a good loot bag. I worry about food. I always, always, make too much. The stress of it all inadvertantly turns me into a party grinch.

Sarah’s birthday, being in April, presents some challenges to us considering the size of our humble abode. It’s not really designed for hosting parties, and it’s especially not designed to accommodate a herd of rampaging children on a sugar-high. I prefer outdoor parties for children, but it’s not always feasible this early in the year.

While I was shopping for loot bag loot I happened upon some of those hollow plastic Easter eggs. I bought a bunch, thinking it would be fun to have a little egg hunt. I wrote the children’s names on them, filled them with foil-wrapped chocolates, and about 90 minutes before everyone arrived I hid them in the backyard. Seeing as though it was still a little mucky back there, I scattered them all around but left them in plain view to make them easy to find. I stuck one in the middle of the top of the picnic table. Later, I was at the kitchen window and I looked outside and saw that the egg was gone. Who’s been outside? Or did it roll off the table? I didn’t give it much thought until later, after the kids had spent a solid 20 minutes searching high and low, when I overheard that some kids were short an egg. Surely I hadn’t hid them that well.

The truth came to light soon enough. The missing eggs (there were three in total) had been stolen and eaten by someone who hadn’t even been invited to the party. Imagine the nerve!

A squirrel!

I bet that varmint got the treat of his life. Thankfully we had extras to distribute (not to the squirrels, I mean the CHILDREN!) so everyone went home happy.

The other highlight of the party didn’t include wildlife or sugary snacks. Mark has a friend who rents those giant inflatable trampolines that come in the shapes of houses/castles/etc. He loaned us their smallest. It was easy to set up and took about 30 seconds to inflate. We set it up in our front yard. Everyone had a great time in it, and those who weren’t jumping were playing with the hula-hoop, the plasma car or sidewalk chalk.

We also made these:

… it took a little doing but I am happy with how they turned out. Sarah’s frame has a group shot of her friends at the party, and Emma’s is a photo I took of her reading to Sarah.

It was an easy little craft for the kids. The wooden frames came two for a dollar. I bought red paint (we stuck with one colour, it’s just easier that way) and large sequin-style flowers and faux-crystal butterflies. I made sure the painting and gluing was done at the beginning of the party so they would have a couple hours to dry. During the party Mark took a portrait of Sarah with each of the guests. And voila!

Everyone left happy, full of cake and ice cream and fruit and “tea” and breadsticks (all Sarah’s choices).

Emma’s is next. This time we’re having a pool party. :)