Eve Turns 5 ( Tips for an easy birthday party )

 So our baby is officially not a baby anymore. She is 5. Five is big and she is very sure she is big. Here are some snaps of her birthday party from a month ago ( I am so good at this blogging thing!)

After MUCH deliberation she landed on a water party. (Other themes that were given serious consideration: Beach party, going to the zoo, bug party ( looking a bugs under a microscope), magic party, animal party,  not a princess party because mom is tired of princess parties)

Eve has arguable the best birthday ( I used to date a guy with the same birthday and he would argue all the time that it was the best day for a birthday and I would try to argue against it - but now that I have a daughter with that birthday, I concede that it may be the best day for a birthday after all. Here's why:
June 25th. Exactly 6 months from Christmas. Yes, Eve gets presents every six month. It happens before school ends so friends are around to come to your birthday, yet it is still summer weather so you can plan things outside.

The only downside to her birthday is this: By the end of June parents are EXHAUSTED with end of school activities so party planning gets put on the back burner. At least it did this year. However - after throwing 17 birthday parties for my kids of the years ( This was number 18 - CRAZY - I am about half way through I think) I have learned somethings. I decided to make this the easiest party ever thrown. Here is what a did. Feel free to tell me if you learn anything and share any tips you have that make birthday parties easier. Someday my children will thank you ( they may be the only people who will ever read this blog)

Step 1: Make sure your husband is not around. This is a rule that may surprise those that are not personally acquainted with Andrew. And may even surprise those that are acquainted with Andrew. Andrew who can handle 40+ teenagers in a classroom all day, goes to pieces with anymore than 4 children at a party. Seeing as we have 3 children - that means for him to be comfortable, only one guest can be invited. It took me several years to learn this lesson, because "many hands make light work" and all that. Andrew is great help before at party and after a party, but during a party - best for him to be out of the way!

Step 2 - Easy invites. The easiest way to do an invite is not to do one. I just called people. Really this is the only option when you realize on Tuesday that the party needs to be on that Friday. The downside of leaving it to the last minute is that some kids couldn't come. The upside of leaving it to the last minute is that some kids couldn't come. ( If you have thrown a birthday for a 5 year old you know this is an upside.)

Step 3 - Easy cake. This party we did cupcakes that were so easy to decorate that my girls could completely decorate them without help. You can't tell the ones I did from the ones the girls did. And they are cute. Blue icing, brown sugar, teddy grams and a drink umbrella.
    

 Step 4: Easy decorations.Ok - so the inside decorations for this party were not the best. But my tip is know your kid -  does  he/she care about decorations? With Alice the answer is yes, with Eve the answer is no. I had the girls do pictures of things in the water to put on the walls. I loved Eve's pictures so much I took pictures of them. Jackie and Alice were sad I didn't take pictures of their contributions - which were lovely. But it was Eve's party and just looking the the mermaids Eve drew makes me happy. I know she will love to see these when she is older. She was VERY proud of them at the party, showing all the guests as they came in.

Mermaids sitting on rocks

Fish in the ocean

Fish and jelly fish - they are happy to be at the party 

A family of whales - and yes they all have hair

 Step 5: Easy Food: Have birthday parties in the afternoon - this one went from 1:30 to 4:00. That way you don't have to feed the kids a meal. We just did snacks. ( Eve was disappointed with the table cloths - she wanted fish or at least blue - this was all I could find at our local dollar store though. They had fish napkins though, which we have used two time since then  - really fish napkins are appropriate for all occasions.)

 Step 6: Have all birthday activities outside. " But my kids birthday is in January " you say. I say, have a ice carving party then. There is nothing better than having the kids OUTSIDE. We had this pool set up in the back yard and the slip in slide in the front. We even put soap on the slip in the slide to enhance the speed. I also set up bubbles left over from her party last year.  The kids just played and played. We did minimal organized games. It was GREAT!! (

Eve, Chelsa and Alice in the Pool

Terry in the pool

Chelsa on the slip n slide

 Step 7: Take your cues from your kid - when they want to eat - it is time to eat. When they want to open presents is the time to open presents. Eve took charge of this. She pretty much loved being the one to spin the bottle and decide whose present to open.

It really was the easiest party I have done, with the easiest clean up. At the end of the day Eve felt 5.. All the kids (we ended up with 10 including our own there ) had a great time. (Bonus tip: maximize the number of 10 year old girls at any party you throw. 10 year old girls are magic - we had 3 at this party. )

The only thing we missed out on was the candles. Eve was so excited to eat the cupcakes she started handing them out - so no picture of all the kids together. Really I should have assigned one of the 10 year old to take pictures. Then we would have more..

After this party, Eve spent some time thinking about what she would do for her next party and the one after that and the one after that. She kept telling me her ideas and I kept yelling: You are not allowed to to 6 - you are not allowed to turn 7 etc etc. She thought this was hilarious. I am happy I have a whole year of her being 5 - well I have 11 more months left of her being five. Time flies.