Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Madalynn's Birthday Tea Party

February was a busy month! This was due mainly to the fact that my daughter requested a "tea party birthday party at home".
I began asking what she wanted to do for her birthday back in early January. She first said she wanted to have it at Bounce U...again. I discouraged this because we had it there last year. (Little did I know that the little friend of hers that shares her birthday would say the same thing except his parents wouldn't discourage it!) So the next time I asked she said she wanted to do it at our house. I kept asking hoping she would change her mind. She didn't.
So I began about a month before her birthday. I am glad I did. We ended up having record snowfall and a few bouts of sickness, so it made it hard to get out and about without children. I looked at the calendar and decided that between Saturday the 13th and Saturday the 20th that the 20th would be a better date. (We have 3 kids at church with birthdays on the 17th and 18th and they were all born the same year. So it is definitely something to think about.) I checked the church schedule and the Kentucky basketball schedule. (We are in Big Blue country you know!) I decided on the 20th and decided we would have it from 11 to 1 pm. That way we could all go home and nap!
I looked online for ideas. I wanted to have real teacups for the girls to drink out of and ended up getting some cute little Corell cups, twelve of them at Goodwill.They had cute little flowers on them that closely matched the colors of her party. So I paid $3 for the cups I needed for her party. This way I wouldn't have to worry about anyone breaking theirs and they could take them home when we were finished. I paid a girl from church to make her cake since I had what I wanted pictured in my mind and knew she could do it. I asked a teenage friend from church to come and help with the little girls. The girls are at an age that up until this point parents stay at the parties, but I don't know when they get to an age where parents just drop them off and then pick them up. You hate to ask "So are you staying or going?" So I thought I would need extra hands. I also asked my friend, Joni to come and she graciously came and helped me too. We sent out the prettiest invitations and invited each girl to dress up for the tea party. They all looked so pretty in their dresses!
I gave them a necklace and earrings when they came in the door. We applied makeup and did their nails too. We got a delayed start because so many people were having trouble finding our house. Ironworks Road has many parts in many counties and even changes from a Road to a Pike and from just Ironworks to Old Ironworks. So this gave the girls plenty to time to play and run up and down the stairs. :) I let the girls choose where they wanted to sit and had placecards for them.
We had our tea, (raspberry); and our tea sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly and ham and cheese). We also had chips, marshmallows, M&Ms, mints, and pickles. We played "Pin the Crown on the Princess" to give Joni time to wash teacups. (We had two cheaters who peered under their blindfolds...one of them was Madalynn!)We also had cake, custom made to match the tablecloth and napkins and "rainbow shermin". We opened presents and then it was time for everyone to go home.
The girls all got to take home their goodie bags with their tea cups, lifesavers, M&Ms, lip balm, playdoh, and a candy bracelet.
When it was all said and done, I think everyone had a great time; Madalynn, all the girls and even all the moms that ended up staying! We had a good visit and I feel like we all got to know each other better. I was very pleased with all the details and how everything turned out. I survived our first "at home" party. Yeah!!!

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