Party Time!

Well last weekend was Lauren's 7th birthday. We let her open one of her gifts from us at the exact time of her birth. It is so hard to believe that we started this whole family adventure 7 years ago! I thought that it would be easier to let her have a friend party and the family party on the same day. Silly me, I thought that it would be less stressful! Umm...NO! She invited the 6 girls from her class and our next door neighbor. I planned to have it be sort of like a glamour party. My sister, Amanda, and my cousin, Courtney, came to help me. As the girls started to arrive I was directing them to coloring a birthday banner for Lauren, while Amanda was putting on nail polish and Courtney was doing their hair. After they all arrived I began putting on some eye shadow and lipstick. Now you would think that with 3 adults to only 8 little girls that it would have run smoothly...but no...we had some serious mass chaos going on! The girls who weren't getting their hair, nails, or make-up done were NOT coloring the banner. Oh no. They were running about my house getting every toy out that my children own. Did I also mention that they were climbing on top of Lauren's bunk bed and then jumping off? So I hurried and helped both Amanda and Courtney to finish up all the girls make-overs so that we could move on to the other activities that I had planned thinking that if I just had them all together in one room that they could be controlled. (What was I thinking?!) I brought them all out to the living room to play a game. I put in a princess CD and had them play "Pass the Glass Slipper". This game is similar to Hot Potato, but they passed a plastic dress-up shoe while the music played instead of a potato. Fun right?! HYPER! We played the game twice and as they got out the second time I had a prize for each of them. I had bought cute little lipstick cases that were pink or purple satin and decorated with beads. I put a plastic ring inside each one, because the lip glosses that I bought to put in them were too LONG! Just my luck. Next we moved into the dining room to decorate frames. Amanda took each girl's picture with Lauren. I had set out foam shapes, plastic jewels, letter noodles, and a few stamps and stamp pads. I had envisioned them quietly creating an amazing craft. Not so much. They were too hyper to calmly approach this activity. I had planned on this activity lasting 20-30 minutes. All but two of them were done in 15. The ones who were done early, naturally had gone back to trying to destroy my house. (Keep in mind that I was having the family party AFTER the little girls party.) OK...time for Lauren to open her presents. Back into the living room we all head. The girls grab their gifts and start shoving them at Lauren arguing about whose present she should open first. Good grief. Amanda steps up and takes charge! She tells the girls to sit around Lauren with their gift and the quietest one gets to have her present opened. WAY TO GO Amanda!! She also makes sure that Lauren takes her time with each present and takes her picture standing with the giver and the gift. (Thank heavens she came to help me!) The last thing I had planned was to give each girl a cupcake that was undecorated. I had put white frosting in muffin cups and different types of decorating confetti in the mini muffin cups. I gave each girl her own plastic knife and frosting and told them to share the confetti. I had used this idea last year and the girls had really enjoyed decorating their own cupcakes. These girls were a little different. They were throwing the candy pieces at each other. Some were not doing such a great job of sharing the different kinds of confetti with their neighbors. We gave them punch and ice cream and prayed that they would not spill on my new rug. Now in my mind all of these activities would have nicely filled up 2 hours. Unfortunately the best laid plans do not always turn out. They were done eating with 15 minutes left to spare. I thought that the best idea would be to send them to our backyard to play on the swingset. After being outside for all of 5 minutes, they had broke one of the swings AND (here's the best part) one of them had climbed all the way to the TOP of my tree. I went outside and calmly asked her to climb down before she fell out and broke her arm, while trying to find all the screws/nuts/bolts to the broken swing. I go back in the house with the broken screws thinking "This is going to be the longest 10 minutes of my life!" only to be followed by two of the girls asking if they can go back up to Lauren's room to play. I figure, what the heck, her room is already destroyed! I just tell them NOT to jump off the bunk bed. So gradually the parents come to pick up their children and I am handing out treat bags and thanking them for coming (and destroying my lovely picked up home). Time is up. Now I must make two pans of lasagna and try to tidy up my house before the family begins to arrive. Luckily the family party goes much better. By ten o'clock that night everyone has left. My house is still a disaster. I am so tired I can hardly stand up. And tomorrow I have to sing in church, make a BINGO game for Amanda's baby shower, and try to remain awake long enough to enjoy the party.....