Dance of the Animal Cracker Circus: It's A Lego Party

We are gearing up to celebrate the 6th birthday of my twin sons. Their actual birthday is on Monday, however we are having the party on Sunday. Why Sunday instead of Saturday? Because. That's why. We were actually supposed to have soccer games today and it would have taken up a huge chunk of the day and would have eaten into party decorating and all that stuff. Normally I work on Sunday's but with the new boss taking over we are closed on Sunday so I get a whole weekend off for once. So it just seemed like a great idea to have the party on Sunday.

Unfortunately I forgot one important part.

Sending out party invites.

I briefly touched on that in my previous post. Can we say a big giant OOOOPS! My sons have assured me that it's OK that I didn't get to invite kids from their class but I still feel like a big giant ass about it.

The poor boys NEVER have as big of a turn out at their parties as their sister does. Their sister had over 30 people at her last party. (Granted a lot of them were adults, and many were siblings to the kids that my daughter had actually invited, but that's ok, they were all still there and they ALL helped us celebrate my daughter turning 7).

So this is going to be a fairly small party for my sons, but for them they kind of handle that better. Plus it's always raining and muddy for their birthday (the joys of being born in April). So they never have that awesome of a birthday anyway. They've only been able to have ONE outside birthday in their 6 years of life, it's always been too wet and muddy for an outside party. Boo!

The only inside locations in this town that don't cost an arm and a leg, are at either Burger King or Hardees....in small...cramped rooms....NOPE, no thank you I'm good. I'd rather do their parties in my home.

So today I've been working my butt off preparing for the party.

I LOVE birthday parties, I really do! I don't get to go all crazy spoiling my kids throughout the year. I would prefer to NOT spoil my kids to begin with, so we just do things to make sure they know we love them and think they are super special. So Christmas, and their Birthday's are super special times at our house. That's when they get actual presents, and their birthday is made out to be about them, and the time they've had with this family and how much we love and appreciate and celebrate THEM as an individual.

I don't go broke making a party.

I shop in advance throughout the year and pick up things as I see them that are on sale or at a great bargain. The kids and I are always scanning Pinterest for party ideas and themes that they happen to be interested in at the moment. $60 usually easily covers the cost of all party decorations, party favors, and a lot of that will either go towards food for the party or towards a little extra present.

Then sometimes depending on what the boys are interested in we'll buy them one BIG present to share, and then a small gift each. However, this year we bought them each a medium ish gift, and then bought them a few small gifts a piece. We always try to have at least one or two presents that match the theme of their party.

We also do not require anyone to bring a present. If you come to their party it is to help us celebrate the day our child was born. No gift required for that. My kids know they will get a gift from mom and dad, and that's ok for them. I read a post a few days ago about how a woman had sent out a big email to family and had a huge demanding list of things for her one year olds first birthday. I think that's all a little bit insane.

I probably wouldn't intend a party where I was told I HAD to bring a present (generally we always bring something ANYWAY but being TOLD you HAVE to and what you HAVE to buy is a little ridiculous). I see nothing wrong with having a themed birthday, generally when a kid has a party THEME you pretty well know what to buy the kid, get something to match the theme. That's my theory anyway. Whether it be a book, clothing, toy etc that goes with that theme. However, it's also ok to ask people what their child is in to and what might be a good gift idea. You might not have ever shopped for a little girl before so might need a tip on what to get them. (I know my stepdad called me before my daughters party because he had no idea what 7 year old little girls were into). He ended up doing an excellent job and picked out stuff she was nuts over. Hair ties, hair bows, head bands, jewelry. She was pretty happy about that! I hadn't even mentioned any of that stuff when he asked. I mentioned things like Barbie's, paints, American Girl type accessories (She has the department store knock off variety of one of those dolls and you can find the knock off accessories at the store for a decent price).

So anyway, gifts are nice but not required if you are invited to one of my children's parties because I understand not everyone CAN afford to bring a gift and that's perfectly fine, I don't want anyone to feel they can't come because they can't afford a gift. I want your kid to come and have a great time with my children celebrating a day that's special to us.

I just don't do birthday sleep overs.

I hate sleep overs. Hate. Them. My sons have had ONE sleep over. ONE, and I blame their father for THAT ONE. I had no say in it, he had it all planned out and the kid was in my door before I knew what was happening. So I made the husband deal with it all.

My daughter has had several sleep overs and her brothers always have to be pains in the BUTT and drive her nuts so I get to listen to her AND her little friends scream at her brothers to leave them alone and yadda yadda and then hear the boys CRY because their sister is being mean. OY VEY!

Dear children. Go sleep over at YOUR friends house, quit asking for them to come over here! (Ok so I'd probably say no to letting my kids stay at some one else's house...my sons have NEVER had a sleep over with anyone other than their Grandma ONE TIME, and the time that two of them stayed with the pastor and his wife while my other son was in the hospital going through chemo. That's it. My kids stay with me).

My daughter though has had a couple of sleep overs at friends houses. She LOVES sleep overs.

I prefer the decorating and planning of a good party.

I go Pinterst NUTS! Wooo!

I pin ALL THE THINGS!

I only end up doing about four of the things, but I pin them all.

Streamers, plates, forks, cups, cupcake stand, table cloths, banners, puff balls and dangly spirals. Oh yeh. I love it all.

I don't go all crazy like some moms do, I've seen some parties that parents throw their kids now days and WOW it's a little bit insane. Also, that's way way way too much money. I won't even let my kids have a BLOW UP BOUNCE HOUSE at their party and I could actually get one for a really great price. But I choose not to.

When I was growing up I had a birthday party EVERY single year until I was 8 years old. Then I had NO more parties until I was 13. Then I had that one party and I never had another "birthday party" again. I didn't even get a super sweet 16. Dang. I don't remember my early birthday parties. I remember when I was four I got a new swing set and I ran out to swing on it in my pretty poofy birthday dress and I sat on the plastic swing and my dress slipped on the swing and I fell out of the swing backwards. I cried. Everyone laughed, I cried more. I did not like my swing set anymore.

I remember my 5th birthday because my cousin was born on it. I was NOT a happy little girl. At the time I was ticked off because he had RUINED my party (everyone left to go see the new baby). I was forgotten. But I got over that quickly enough and went about my life.

For my 8th birthday I remember my Grandma and my Mother took a LOT of time decorating and making home made punch and making my cake, and making up little sandwiches and stuff for my party and they let me invite several friends over. It was a great birthday party and I was so happy! Too bad it was my last one until I was 13!

My 13th birthday wasn't too bad. We rented out the community building where I lived. I don't remember if many people came though. I remember it was a pretty good party and I still have some photos from it somewhere.

When I was 25 my husband and a friend and got together and did a surprise party for me, it was right after our son was diagnosed with cancer and I was so stressed out. They got together and planned a wonderful night. Home made spaghetti and salad, and cake and ice cream. I got balloons, and my favorite alcohol (I'm not big on alcohol, but I do like the occasional once in awhile drink), and a few presents. It was an awesome little surprise! (Too bad the next week on my husband and I's wedding anniversary we'd get the news our sons tumor was growing and we'd be back to the hospital and he'd have another surgery and start chemo), so my happiness from the week before was short lived.

Last year I was still recovering from having my appendix removed (on my husband's birthday the month before mine). I was still sore and miserable a month later when I had my birthday. However I was feeling good enough I was able to make plans to celebrate mine AND my husband's birthday because I felt horrible for ruining his birthday by ending up in the ER that night because of my appendix. So we planned an adult only party and had a bonfire in the back yard and had bought just enough alcohol for everyone that was there to have two, and we visited and laughed and just had a good time hanging out as adults. Husband actually called it his best birthday ever, and I have to agree.

For the kids, I have to admit I have basically the same set up.

First. We pick a THEME.

(this year the boys wanted a LEGO party, well actually they wanted a Lego Ninjago party but I was like how about we just do a LEGO party instead, and they were like ok that's cool).

Two, start picking up items here there and everywhere a little at a time. I usually start with party favors, but this year we aren't really doing party favors.

I don't go all crazy and buy every thing printed in the chosen theme. That'd be crazy. Can you imagine if I had Lego plates, Lego napkins, Lego banner, Lego this that and everything. It'd be a LOT of Lego print.

So instead I choose about 4 colors to work with. For the boys, you can bet there will always be BLUE and RED (their 'colors' since birth) but the other two colors are always subject to change depending on what theme they have chosen. This year we went with basic colors of the basic Lego's. Red, blue, green, and yellow.

I get table clothes in one color, napkins in one color, forks in another, cups in one of the colors and so on. It all goes together. I get streamers in each color, and balloons in each color.

Next, I hit up Pinterest.

I start designing the stuff that is actually FOR the theme. Like this year it was drawing out and cutting out Lego men heads, and Lego lettering. It's enough to let you know what the theme is, without over killing it. I also let the kids help plan out as much of it as I can. They get to help with decorating too, I like for them to feel involved in the planning. I also think it helps them learn how to plan and follow through with a plan, and do nice things for others. Hopefully they will be able to plan a simple yet fun birthday party for their kids or a friend when they are grown.

We also pick out game ideas and start making those things up (cept I am TOTALLY SLACKING this year so NONE of my planning is going according to plan and I'm still working on things...and the party is tomorrow!!)

I also like to make a little photo booth if I can. I've found the kids really enjoy those and it's fun to look back at the silliness of it later on. Did a dress up photo booth for my daughters Princess party when she was five. It was a huge hit, everyone loved it. So I'm doing another photo booth for the boys this year, partially because I never got to take them out for birthday photos this year like I always do!!

Which is another thing on my party planning list I always do. Usually a month before their birthday I take them out and do a photo shoot. Then I use those photos to make a cute theme oriented birthday invitation to send to friends and family. That's where I fell short this year. I did not get photos done, nor did I send out any invites. BAD BAD BAD MOM!

Then I always decorate everything the night before the party, so I don't have to do it the day of. (unless the party is outside, in that case I get there a couple hours early and start setting up!)

I usually TRY to make the kids birthday cakes, but the past couple of birthday's I have not. I have bought them. I'd like to say I feel bad about it, but that's a lie because I don't feel bad about buying their birthday cakes. I've been happy with their cakes every year and so have they so that's all that matters.

Cept, THIS YEAR we almost ended up with NO CAKE! I sent my husband to the bakery today to check on our cake, and lo and behold...they had LOST OUR ORDER FORM!! We were not going to have a cake to pick up in the morning! *GULP*

Thankfully, my husband was able to save the day and put in a new order form. He told them "It's a good thing I came in tonight to check on things, because if my wife would have came in to get the cake tomorrow...and there was no cake....it would not have been pretty...at all."

He wasn't lying.

It would have gotten ugly. Quickly.

I would have cried. I would have bawled. Do not mess with the cake.

I would have been in FULL BLOWN PANIC INDUCED MODE.

I tend to get a bit...anxious when it comes to the FINAL prep of birthday parties (It's not a thing I'm proud of it's a bit embarrassing actually!!! I tend to erm...over react slightly....)

For my daughters third birthday I was up until 2am finishing her party stuff and baking her cake and decorating it. She wanted a black and white puppy party. So that's what I did.

I had JUST finished putting on the black ear of this puppy....and I was so exhausted that as I took my hand back across the cake....I totally slapped the puppy cake across the face and relocated it's frosting ear. I just broke down and cried my heart out right then and there. It was awful. I lost it. I was about to throw the cake across the room. Thank God my husband is a lot calmer than I when it comes to birthday's (he hates them and thinks it's silly to celebrate birthday's most of the time, mainly because no one ever did anything for him like this when he was a kid, he had no special birthday's).

He calmed me down and together we fixed the cake, and it actually didn't look too awful and no one noticed I had slapped a black ear across the white face of this puppy cake, ha! But then all the black frosting turned everyone's mouths black haha.

So yeh, there is a reason I don't exactly feel bad about NOT making their cakes anymore.

Let someone ELSE mess it up so I can yell at them.

Any way though, I DO love birthday parties and planning them and decorating for them. It's generally a TON of fun. Though I don't always have as much time as I need, thanks to work, life, kids....haha! They all take up time and that's ok! They come first and party stuff all falls after that somewhere.

Not everything is quite sat up yet, but these are some photos I took tonight, so pardon any mess or chaos you may see in the photo still. There's still plenty left to do, but I'm actually pretty laid back about it all. Or it could be I'm just too exhausted to care (I'm still getting over being sick, and I seem to have developed laryngitis and I'm miserable. The kids were rotten today and every time I went to get on to them my voice died more and more. My throat feels soooo weird and it hurts to swallow and eat and ugh, it's miserable. The husband is enjoying the 'quiet' though. Jerk face. I'll make up for me being quiet once this laryngitis is gone! Naaah I can't be upset with him. The kids and him let me sleep in until 10am and they made me breakfast in bed. I cannot be upset about that. They did a very sweet thing because they know I haven't been feeling well.

This is for the photo booth. I took an old box wrapped it in a bit of left over table cloth and stuck on two small red paper plates and made a giant Lego brick (I was TRYING to make the front door look like a giant Lego but my left over table cloth was a bit short and it didn't look right so I nixed that idea and went in a slightly different direction).

One half of the dining room. This is where the food and drink will be, the focal point of the room. I had two glass vases I scored for a great price and I filled them with my sons' Lego's as decoration. I also made Lego faces out of yellow pates and popsicle sticks and they are decoration and props for the photo booth.

The husband contributed by doing dishes today, and being my arm extensions when I wasn't tall enough, and helping me keep my sanity when I KNEW I had JUST had the tape, or the scissors or the marker. He's brilliant. I love him, and I'm glad I married him. Without him today...I would have lost what few remaining marbles I have left. Anyway, he also made the big 6 shaped out of Lego's, I appreciate that, it's a nice tough! The kids contributed as many little Lego dudes as they could find, I couldn't say no so there they are!

Several weeks ago we went to Mr. Bulky's it's a candy store at the mall and I found these sweet tart candies in the shape of Lego bricks, so I bought like a pound of them and have saved them for the boys' birthday party. I almost forgot I had them! (The yellow ones taste like banana and I love them!!)