October 28, 2006
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Party of 11?
Today was Rachel’s 7th birthday party. I felt somewhat like a bad mom because I realized that she’s never had a birthday party with friends over before. Oops! But, having ten little friends over today surely made up for my previous failings.
Rachel wanted to have an explorer party (not Dora, real exploring!), but thankfully for me, it was cold and rainy today, so we had to do all our exploring indoors. (I did not relish the thought of hiding clues in the woods while 11 five to seven year old girls screeched and looked for them.)
I took a piece of posterboard, colored it in rainbow stripes on the front, wrote “OLOK DUNER EHT BATEL” on the back, and cut it into puzzle pieces. One of the pieces had a heart-shaped protrusion, which I covered in foil. I hid these 17 pieces all over the house, being careful to write down where I hid them, as my memory isn’t always the best. Next, I took a suitcase and put all the party games and activities inside (drop the clothespin, bowling, and paper, glitter, and glue to make sparkle notebooks) and locked it.
When the girls arrived, I told a tale of the birthday fairy and rainbows and mysteries. They all went looking for the puzzle pieces. After they assembled the puzzle, we flipped it over to find the mystery message. Now, for beginning readers, a word scramble isn’t the easiest, but they got it. During their rambunctious ruminations, Michael took the suitcase, which had foil over it with a missing heart shape cut out, and hid it under the table just in time as one girl finally solved the last word. “It’s TABLE! Look under the table!” The girls tore into the dining room, extracted the suitcase from under the table, and stopped short when faced with the lock. “Hey, maybe there’s something with the missing heart?” I suggested. One bright cookie exclaimed, “The heart from the map!” After they tore it off and fitted it in the hole, a key miraculously fell to the floor which opened the suitcase.
However exciting that may have sounded, jumping on the couches and dancing wildly to the soundtrack of High School Musical might have been more entertaining to them.
I hope to finish my last Saxon lessons tonight! WOOOO!
Comments (13)
Very fun, you always have such creative ideas! I can’t believe Rachel’s 7, all your kids just keep getting bigger and bigger. Does it really go by that fast?
haha Sounds like lots of fun!;) Guess what? I took your advice and went as an Amish punk…And I won some glow-in-the-dark nailpolish for having the “most original” costume!;D
Hey, can I come to your next birthday party!! Sounds like a blast!!!
Very creative and fun!
Aww, that’s so sweet! All those little girls will remember that party very fondly. Hope that you’ve been enjoying autumn as much as I have! Much love from Chapel Hill…
You just gave me a fantastic idea for a library program activity! Thanks for sharing and it does sound like you had a blast. Eleven girls in one house…I cannot imagine! God bless as you recover!
Stephanie
RYC on the carmel sticky buns, I use the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (it is the same one that my mom used). They call them carmel buns (or maybe it is rolls). I will try to post the recipe this week.
Blessings!~Margie
Wow! Fun! So what are you going to follow-up with it next year? No pressure….sounds like a great time and congrats on your Saxon project! Yay!
Another conquest! The Saxon is overthrown!
what a cool mom! i am sure she will always remember her party.
Wow! Sounds like fun.
I was thinking what several others were…boy, that Mary’s creative! You do come up with fun ideas. So did you finish your last lesson? How are the wrists anyway?
That sounds like a very cool party! And I think you’re doing great to have that many kids at her age. I never had ANY parties with friends until about 10 or 12 yrs, I don’t think!
I was sick over the weekend and am better now but just catching up. I thought your idea of the treasure hunt was a good one!