We have been through the celebration ringer today, because my eldest is now officially EIGHT YEARS OLD, and we spent the whole, dang, day living it up in a big way. :)
Of course, what else do you expect for the girl who requested a Harry Potter-themed birthday this year???
In total, it was probably one of our lengthier birthday setups last night. Likely due to the four balloon towers instead of the one arch we typically use.
Of course, what else do you expect for the girl who requested a Harry Potter-themed birthday this year???
I mean, am I gonna fail to do justice to the most amazing children’s literary series on the planet???
Nope.
I pulled out all the stops (well, at least as many as I could possibly rationalize without feeling like I’d gone to the insane place), because I, for sure, wasn’t going to be the Mama who pulled together a lackluster Harry birthday.
Birthdays are magical.
Harry is magical.
So magic, we had.
I should have known things were going to snowball when I ordered aged parchment paper and a wax Hogwarts seal so I could make replica acceptance letters for the kiddos. It was all downhill from there, ha.
But, man, was it a fun bit of detail flair. ;)
We slipped the letters under each of their bedroom doors while they were sleeping, and also had a bunch of them flying out of the fireplace (if you don’t understand this, you haven’t read the books).
So...obviously, there are about a million gazillion ways you can go with a Harry-themed birthday. But since Chica and I are only in the middle of Prisoner of Azkaban, and the party needed to be small-children appropriate, and filled with lots o’ balloons for impact, I decided to limit it to...
I should have known things were going to snowball when I ordered aged parchment paper and a wax Hogwarts seal so I could make replica acceptance letters for the kiddos. It was all downhill from there, ha.
But, man, was it a fun bit of detail flair. ;)
We slipped the letters under each of their bedroom doors while they were sleeping, and also had a bunch of them flying out of the fireplace (if you don’t understand this, you haven’t read the books).
So...obviously, there are about a million gazillion ways you can go with a Harry-themed birthday. But since Chica and I are only in the middle of Prisoner of Azkaban, and the party needed to be small-children appropriate, and filled with lots o’ balloons for impact, I decided to limit it to...
- Custom Hogwarts invites with seal
- A replica Platform 9 3/4
- “Flying” Chamber of Secrets keys
- A cardboard castle
- A cardboard Harry
- Balloon towers and banners for each House
- A Honeydukes candy shop
And if you don’t know what any of these things are, I can’t help you.
In total, it was probably one of our lengthier birthday setups last night. Likely due to the four balloon towers instead of the one arch we typically use.
But totally worth it.
And I went to bed sort of feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve. :)
We played the theme music from the movie as the kiddos came downstairs ready for their sorting hat moment for the day...
And, naturally, Chica was all decked out for the big day.
Then as soon as the sorting was complete, we set them loose in the direction of the dining room (with a quick stop to examine the letters on the fireplace), before braving Platform 9 3/4.
They were so enthusiastic. :)
And, oh, the magical smiles. :) :) :)
This was officially the first year that I didn’t buy a single gift of my own imagining for Chica. She had a very detailed list, and was pumped for her three items. Overjoyed, really.
And because we never do birthday parties with friends, we always add to the general festivities by gifting the non-birthday siblings a little something, as a sort of party souvenir. Spoiled, I know.
But it makes for such a fun, hyped-up day for everyone, ha.
Cake for breakfast is one of our many traditions...
And there were several times throughout the day when we let the kiddos go “shopping” at Honeydukes for some candy. ;)
And the light in the dining room—especially with the plantation shutters wide open for the House banners—was so lovely that the kiddos kept returning there throughout the day for some play.
It’s a more recent tradition (within the past year or so?) to let the birthday kid choose everything we do on their big day.
And, naturally, Chica was all decked out for the big day.
Then as soon as the sorting was complete, we set them loose in the direction of the dining room (with a quick stop to examine the letters on the fireplace), before braving Platform 9 3/4.
They were so enthusiastic. :)
And, oh, the magical smiles. :) :) :)
This was officially the first year that I didn’t buy a single gift of my own imagining for Chica. She had a very detailed list, and was pumped for her three items. Overjoyed, really.
And because we never do birthday parties with friends, we always add to the general festivities by gifting the non-birthday siblings a little something, as a sort of party souvenir. Spoiled, I know.
But it makes for such a fun, hyped-up day for everyone, ha.
Cake for breakfast is one of our many traditions...
And there were several times throughout the day when we let the kiddos go “shopping” at Honeydukes for some candy. ;)
And the light in the dining room—especially with the plantation shutters wide open for the House banners—was so lovely that the kiddos kept returning there throughout the day for some play.
It’s a more recent tradition (within the past year or so?) to let the birthday kid choose everything we do on their big day.
The get to pick our meals and our activities and our shows and, well, pretty much everything. And they almost always demand a sleepover at the end of it all. Sort of like a modified “yes” day.
So between all the party planning and decorating, the late night and early morning (seriously, it’s becoming like Christmas morning, ha), the food requests, the pool demands, the playing, the sleepover setup, and so on and so on and so on...I am wiped.
And so ready to hit the rack in just a bit.
But.
All my babies are snug as bugs in our master bedroom right now (hopefully sleeping), and I know all of them had a magical day—especially my beautiful birthday girl, who is the sweetest, kindest, happiest soul that I’m so LUCKY to have birthed, eight years ago, today. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment