Bella turned 5 years old this weekend! Hooray! This year we once again hosted her birthday party at our home. Against our better judgment, we rationalized this decision by designating our garage as the newfound party spot where parents could relax on foldout chairs and kids could go drop food on the floors at will. Also, after last year’s experience, we decided to forgo the hiring of a professional entertainer. Afterall, I wasn't about to shell out the mega money it cost for another cheap Tinkerbell entertainer with a lopsided wig. Besides, how hard could it be to entertain some kids with games and crafts?
But first, back to the party prep and theme. Since we told Bella we couldn't invite a princess ("we don't have their phone numbers"), she decided to insist on the next hardest thing for a party theme: "I want Lotso to come to my party" she declared. For those of you who live under a rock, or don't have small children, (*warning, spoiler alert ahead*) Lotso is a cute, fun-loving bear from Toy Story 3 who turns evil after his owner replaces him.
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| Maddie and Bella (in her homemade Lotso costume) |
Eventually, the idea of a Lotso party turned into a generic Teddy Bear-themed party where all the kids were asked to bring their own favorite bear to play games with. And as a consolation for not having a life-sized Lotso attend her party, I decided to make her a bear-shaped cake decorated with the likes of Lotso.
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| Homemade Lotso Bear cake (Don't ask how long it took. You don't want to know!) |
Jin and Uncle Sun also contributed by attempting to make a Lotso shaped piñata:
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| Hi, I'm a Lotso piñata! |
As food, I admit I went a little overboard with the theme and insisted we serve "bear food": salmon, nuts, berries, twigs and leaves (salad). I thought it would also be cute to serve bear-shaped PB&J sandwiches (thanks, Grandma for making these!). But in the end, the main course was none other than everyone's favorite kid party food - pizza (I snuck in my suggestions as side dishes).
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| Salmon |
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| Peanut Butter Jelly sandwiches shaped like bears |
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| Nuts and Berries |
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| Twigs and Leaves (Chinese Chicken Salad with Chow Mein noodles) |
As activities we had 4 bear-themed crafts such as bear-shaped picture frames or bear pouches. We even planned to play musical bears where the children marched around chairs to the tune of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance (Bella's favorite song) and "popcorn bears". More on these disasters later.
Finally, the big day arrived. Grandma and Uncle Sun who were visiting helped to set up for the grand festivities. The food was all laid out, and tables and chairs were set up so guests could relax in the spacious comfort of the garage. We all waited in anticipation for the first guests to arrive. Finally, the doorbell rang. Bella anxiously ran to open the door; it was her friend from school, Samantha. What ensued between the two girls was a terrifying ritualistic voodoo dance consisting of loud high-pitched shrieking, rolling on the ground in spasms, and jumping (with more screaming) in a circle while holding hands. I should have known that this boisterous beginning would be an ominous sign that would set the tone for the rest of the party.
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| Samantha and Bella |
Soon, the house was filled with 20+ kids and their associated parents and siblings. I tried to corral the kids into the garage for crafts; other mothers tried desperately to follow my lead, but the children insisted on staying indoors. At one point, a few of the kids did calm down enough to sit at the craft table. But once Catherine arrived (Bella's professed "best friend" from school) I knew jealousy was just around the corner.
"I want to sit next to Bella", exclaimed Samantha.
"No, I want to sit next to her," said Catherine.
"You can both sit next to her." I negotiated. But it was no use. Soon tears were shed, pouting commenced, and children were left ignored in corners like disease-infested lepers.
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| Before the tears begin, Samantha relents and lets Catherine sit next to Bella |
We tried playing musical bears, but being a novice at this birthday hosting thing, I failed to prepare a consolation prize, a sticker or something, for each child once they lost their seat. Children stomped away near tears as they were called "out". The game intensified as it whittled down to three chairs and four players. Then Catherine was called "out". Given her emotionally fragile state after her stand-off with Samantha, I immediately sensed her rising state of turmoil. Soon hot tears began steaming down her face. I found myself consoling her and calling it a "do-over" since it was a "tie". Where was her mother in all of this!? Needless to say the initial tears of one child immediately primed others for more tears. Several more ties with "do-overs" were called until finally Jin put an end to my disorganized mayhem by proclaiming, "Everyone's a winner!" The four remaining children (including Bella), with tear-stained cheeks and all, began jumping about, cheering wildly.
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| Everyone's a winner!!! |
Next up on the exhausting day of activities was “popcorn bears”. The idea of this game came to me one day as an epiphany. Why not place the bears in the middle of a parachute and have the kids bounce them around like popcorn? The last bear to survive the bouncing would win. Kids love parachutes, kids love bouncing so this game was sure to be a hit. What I failed to consider was the sheer weight of 15+ bears weighing the chute down like a ten-ton brick. The kids grunted as they struggled to propel the bears into the air. Jin eventually had to discreetly kick the underside of the chute so bears would flop overboard. Eventually, two children, Kaelyn and Christopher, were declared winners.
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| Graceful winner, Kaelyn |
Then for the main event: the piñata.
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| Oh how we love to whack you, Jessie |
Jin tied the Jessie (from Toy Story 3) piñata up and the kids lined up to take a whack (the Lotso bear piñata that Jin made was converted into a table centerpiece). We only had a whimpy Disney Princess bat made of reinforced cardboard so we knew we were in for the long haul. One by one, each child took their best whacks but no one made a real dent using the cardboard bat. The adults started getting shifty. The kids grew weary. This was prolonging everyone’s agony! So Jin finally decided to bring out the big guns: the pink aluminum bat. It was a dangerous proposition to hand a 5 year old an aluminum bat, but we wanted this thing over and done with so the adults could have our own fun.
It was Bella's turn to bat. We tightened the strap of her bicycle helmet under her chin and prayed she wouldn't accidentally throw the bat sideways with a swing. The kids sensed the newfound power in the aluminum bat and started cheering wildly. Bella took a swing. The bat connected with Jessie's side with a loud crack and soon a downpour of candy showered the garage floor. All the children descended on the pool of candy like ravenous pigs. Within seconds, the floor was mopped clean of any remnant candy. The kids proudly held up their bags of loot and soon they were off indoors to continue the systematic dismantling of our home.
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| Bella's strained face as she connects with Jessie with the ferocity of a warrior in battle |
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| It's raining candy! |
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| Made scramble for candy |
Now that the games and activities were done, the rest of the party for me was a nice alcohol-induced blur. And after my 2nd glass of wine, I relaxed into my casual carefree existence. The children eventually tired out after the incessant running, bat swinging, and screaming, and one by one, they said their good-byes to Bella and left. Her “other” best friend, Kaelyn stayed for dinner while the remaining adults helped to assemble the house back to normal order.
Later as we lay in bed, Bella confided in me by saying, “Mommy, that was the best birthday party ever.” I kissed the top of Bella’s head, closed my eyes, and drifted into a deep Teddy-Bear slumber...snoring included.
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