Gabbers Under the Sea Party with Friends

Every four years, our children enjoy birthday parties with friends.  This year for Gabbers 8th birthday party, she chose an Under the Sea theme.  We started the party off with games:

Under the Sea Relay

Crab walk from start to the tunnels.

Eel swim through the tunnels.

Put on the mermaid tail (pillowcase) and hop to the end (the fence).

Raise your hand to signal to your next teammate to go.

Fish, Fish, SHARK!

This was an "Under the Sea" rendition of "Duck, Duck, Goose."  No pictures because I was busy running around playing it with the kids while Danny was busy finishing up the poster board for:

Put the fish in the bowl

A fishy version of "Pin the tail on the donkey.  We were going to do "Pin the tail on the Whale" but thought it would be more fun to put the fish in the bowl (and easier to draw).

 

Bonus points if you get it in its little house.

Fish that don't make it in the bowl died.  *eek*

We also played The Fishing game.  I laminated the fish so I could reuse them for Primary.  I'm the new chorister.  I used a wooden dowel with some string tied to it and a magnet on the end.  Each fish had a paper clip on it.

I forgot to take pictures of this game.  Everyone's fish had something on the back.  One fish was different.  Everyone won a prize of Twizzlers or Smarties (remember this was just before Halloween) and there was a grand-prize:  Flavor-blasted Goldfish (from the dollar store). 

Then we had Gabbers open her presents.

 After presents we had cake that Danny ordered from the commissary (because I nearly had a mental breakdown that week thanks to my little twin buddies).  And it's a good thing we did, Lindsay from the bakery did a fabulous decorating job.  It was white cake with buttercream frosting and Bavarian creme filling.  Yum!

Gabbers was pretty happy about it.

We passed out goody bags to everyone.  The contents:  Goldfish crackers, Swedish fish, bubbles, banana creme pie pudding cups (they looked like beach or sand colors), and a balloon in cellophane bags that had sea critters all over them (that I bought on vacation in Utah one year a looong time ago). 

I originally planned the party to be inside.  But the day before in a short period of about 10 minutes horrible HORRIBLE things happened due to the two year old-ness of the twins.  Danny suggested an outdoor party also planning on how many boys were also going to be there.  It worked out well.  I had to toss out all the decoration plans I had-- since they wouldn't work outside.  But the bubbles and the sea anemones seemed adequate.

Scratching that creative itch

On Saturday we are having an Under the Sea birthday party for Gabbers.  She's celebrating her EIGHTH birthday!



In preparation something good AND bad has happened.  I have discovered Pinterest.  That octopus was on there.  Oh my.  There are so many wonderful crafts and holiday decorations and goodies and party ideas and presents and organization tips and on and on! 

I have been pinning and having too much fun.  Ah yes, I have been procrastinating my time away. 

I want to make this:

I would LOVE to bake and decorate for Halloween but I need to focus on baking and decorating for Gabbers' birthday party.  This IS the year for her big friend birthday party.  So I have to file away my fun ideas for next year when I don't have a big party to plan. 

However, it hasn't stopped me from making a pumpkin basket craft with the kids (that I cut on my Silhouette) and painting pumpkins (we were given a dozen on Sunday while we waited in the van during Danny's meeting).  Pictures later.

Today I learned how to make these:

Picture and tutorial here.  (and p.s. if you add a half teaspoon of shortening to about 1 1/4 cup candy melts when melting, it makes it smoother and easier to coat the marshmallows.)

Have you seen any cute crafts or goodies lately you couldn't resist adding to your to-do list?

Summer flowing smooth? Mix it up with an unexpected party.

Sometimes when life gets too organized, I find myself dumped on with extra activities.  usually of my own doing.  But not this time.  This time I got roped into it by a very sad, mopey face with a good excuse.

A certain Bun will be turning six years old in just over two weeks.  And he wants a friend party.  This means we need to start planning in May.  And it's not May anymore people. 

I tried to tell him he can have one when he turns 8.  But he pointed out that Hammy had one and he just turned 4, and Gabbers had one too when she was 4, and HE didn't get one when he turned 4 and why not??!!

So, I told him I was hospitalized with the twins' pregnancy.  And when he was five (when we were going to try to do the party), I was pregnant with Peach. 

He looked at me and said resolutely, "Well, I want my friend party this year.  and I want a pinata and to play musical chairs."

And I couldn't answer with, "Bun dear, I'm just about full right now with swim lessons, ballet, and occupational therapy.  Not to mention Daddy has an inspection at work this month which means I'd have to plan everything myself-- which I usually do with parties but I wouldn't necessarily have the time since I'd be putting you all to bed by myself with his late nights and be limited to how much time I have in the evenings after I finally get y'all to sleep.  I think if I have to bake a cake or even have one in the home it will be detrimental to my diet.  And I'm still freaked out we got our XBOX Live account hacked into with our credit card run up and wondering if we should stop that card right now just in case.  I'm thinking you should just have a party with your siblings and maybe just go bowling." 

But I did not answer like that.  He would've glazed over like you just did.

So I've got to get me some crafty links to show me what shapes I can slap newspaper with flour and glue on and magically turn it into a fanciful child's birthday party pinata.  And invite enough kids over to march around chairs.