Emily's birthday party

Well, I'm exhausted, but I might as well blog now because I don't think the rest of my weekend is going to get any easier. Today was Emily's friend birthday party! I've spent almost all week getting ready for it. Yesterday as I was fuming over cranky children while hanging streamer after streamer, I wondered when children start to appreciate all their parents' efforts. Then I realized that I still don't appreciate my mom enough, so I guess never is the answer. Anyway, here is the invitation Emily gave to all her friends. I created the top and she glued and stuck all the decorations on the bottom. She even wrote all her friends names on the top. I spent the week making mermaid/merman tails, shell tops, Triton armbands, crowns, decorating the living room and making her cake. Here's the decorating. We had green and blue streamers outlining the room, green and blue balloons covering the floor, fish swimming around the room, blue contact paper covering the lights, and a blue shower curtain hung in the door frame that served as the fishing area.
When the little merfish arrived (we had about 10 come), they dressed up like a mermaid/merman - green fins, shell top, and armbands.
Then they got to decorate their crowns and sand buckets with sea animal stickers and glittery jewels.
Our first game was pin the tail on the mermaid.
Then we played, "Ursula, are you hungry?" Steve held a blow up octopus and the kids all asked Ursula if she was hungry. If she said, "No" the kids would take one step closer. If she said, "Yes" they would run away so they would not get eaten. They loved that. We've been trial playing that in FHE the last two weeks, so I know the other kids would love it too.
Then we played bounce the bubbles. We used the parachute to bounce all the balloons up and down. We also played a mermaid race using the potato sacks I have. Then we went fishing and Ursula gave out human treasures, Dinglehoppers, Biggermajiggers, boots, sharks, and seaweed. (Didn't get any pictures of those games.) Eventually Emily fished for a treasure map and we found out there was treasure hidden in the oven. We had a treasure box in there and divyed out the prizes.
Next we sang to Emily and ate cake. Here's this year's creation.
Emily loved opening all her presents and used such good manners. She would say something like, "I LOVE IT! IT'S BEAUTIFUL!" for every present.
Since we had some extra time, we played with the bubble maker outside and played, Fish, Fish, Mermaid and Red Light, Green Light. Hopefully it's another party Emily will never forget. She gets another family party tomorrow and her real birthday on Wednesday. Not only that, but this week's preschool theme is going to be Unbirthday for the letter U! (I thought it was perfect timing - I knew I'd already have all the birthday stuff out!) What a way to extend her birthday!

Steve was a great party helper. He helped me get things set up this morning. I asked him to cover the lights with blue cellophane and he went all out and covered the windows as well. Our little bathroom stool was sacrificed for the purpose of hanging them. He crashed through it. Emily started crying, not because her daddy was hurt, but because her stool was broken. Where's the sympathy?

Ella was so excited for the party - and her own birthday as well. When all the kids got here, she got kind of clingy. I think it was too much commotion for her. As soon as the kids went outside, she started playing with Emily's presents. I think she's had more fun with them already! We'll have to make her party a little less crazy for her.