Happy Birthday Par-TEE!!

Here is a recipe for disaster:

Take one 14 year old to football practice at 6:15 am

Take one 16 year old to a game at 7:15 am

Have a huge birthday party. Let the almost 4 year old and 9 year old, run, bounce and play like crazy for hours.

Let 9,14 and 16 year old spend the night at friends houses

Go to a pool party the next day. Swim for hours.

Add all together and shake.

Results: by Sunday you will have grouchy, mean, overtired, fighting kids.

Today we are doing NOTHING. Well, Tucker had practice, but at a more civilized hour!

The party of the year ( in Janey's humble opinion) was "So, so WONDERFUL!". Most of our parties are at home, but there is something to be said for writing a check, sitting back and doing nothing but watch the kids have fun! Thanks, Rach for the great idea to have the girls share their party! Janey and Ella had a great day!

Janey got lots of fun stuff, and it kept us busy when we got home. We have been moving more toward the trend of opening gifts WELL after parties. There is something vulture-ish about doing it in front of a crowd. The crowd moves closer and closer. The gift is pawed by every kid in awe, as the birthday kid gets closer and closer to a meltdown. Finally when every kid is crying because they want that new Barbie/Polly/Game, and the birthday kid is crying because someone is opening the new Barbie/Polly/Game, it has all gone down the toilet! This is a much more relaxing way to do it. Well, relaxing until you spend 2 hours trying to free Barbie from her box. I swear it said Princess Barbie, but it may have well said Bondage Barbie for all of her straps and ties. It is a PLASTIC doll....how secure does she really need to be??

Guess we'll have a big party again next week on her real birthday. Just kidding! We are going out to eat, and I am buying the cake this time!! Once you have tasted the easy way to do birthdays, there's no going back!!

PS- The gluten-free butterfly cake was a hit! AND, added bonus, it tasted good! Still seeing double from putting all those M&M's on it!!!