The save the date cards started the craziness...
and the over the top invites didn't help...
Mom managed to get out all the invites before we left for our Ohio vacation, but was worried that we wouldn't have much time to prepare once we got home- she was right...Because two weeks of non-stop party planning took its toll on our family. Both Mom and Dad worked endlessly, making carnival games, designing party decorations, and prepping enough food to feed an army of carnies. Despite the craziness at home, Macie and I found ways to stay entertained. With approval we played some of the completed games, and had fun dressing up with the miscellaneous props we found lying around.
The night before my party I could hardly contain my excitement- It was especially difficult because everywhere I looked there was stuff for the party! Mom had spent 10 days in a party planning and creating frenzy, and we were all glad when the big day finally arrived. Here are pictures of the the completed projects:
For the entrance to the gymnasium Mom made a big ticket booth (using her clothing racks and some shower curtains) where each of my friends would check in.
At the ticket booth they would receive buckets with their names painted on them (to hold all their prizes), as well as a card with carnival tickets, and a lanyard with a name tag.
Mom was adamant that we have carnival games at my party, and since she didn't like any of the rentals we looked at, she decided to design a few for Dad to build...Good thing I have such an awesome Dad, because he was able to bring Mom's ideas to life!!!
EVERY carnival has some sort of gun game, so here is the SHOOTING RANGE we created! Dad had SO much fun testing out the functionality of this game. He spent hours in Toys R Us finding the perfect Nerf gun for the job (he also spent hours chasing Mom around the house showing her just how powerful the gun was when she questioned whether or not it would be strong enough to knock the animals over). Both Macie and I had a hard time restraining from messing with it since it was so much fun to knockdown the animals.
Since each carnival game had a prize, the one for the gun game was a hand held squirt gun!!!
Another carnival must-have was a clown inspired knock down. It was designed just like the gun game, but we all got a kick out of the silly wiggly eyes and the crazy fur hair. We had home made bean bags to throw at the clowns, and boy was that FUN!!! The prize given out at this game was crazy noise makers.
The "Feed the Frog" game was one of Mom's favorites. She bought fake flies and bugs that we used to toss into the frog's mouth.
We had lots of fun playing with the frog hoppers that were given out as prizes.
The Basket Toss was one of the games that took little to no effort to create- I am sure that made Dad happy since he was inindated with construction demands.
After participating in the basket Toss each kid received a big bouncy ball!
The "Feed the Hungry Animals" game was fun, we got to throw animal cookies into their mouths- all the kids had tons of fun, but boy was there a BIG mess to clean up.
Macie loved the individual bags of frosted animal cookies that were given out as prizes!!!
Of course we had a fishing game- this one was very basic, but very fun! When we caught a fish on the pole we got a a big bag of Swedish fish as a prize!!!
The last carnival game Mom and Dad made was a goldfish toss. This one took NO construction, which was nice! The glasses contained real GOLDFISH in them. I think most of my friends had more fun messing with the fish then tossing the ping pong balls.
The prize for participating in that game was a treat bag full of goldfish- SCORE!!!
During Mom's creative inspiration she decided that a carnival photo booth was a must. She purchased a red pop up tent and made a booth where my friends could take silly pictures.
The birthday prop was a ton of fun- we had a box full of silly items we could wear while taking pictures: mustaches, glasses, wigs, hats, etc.
This photo prop was silly looking, but one of Mom's favorites!!! All you had to do was stand behind it and SMILE!!!
Every carnival has an AMAZING selection of food- Mom hoped ours would be no different! She insisted on making signs for everything...
We got a real popcorn maker with really cool popcorn containers that each kid got to fill (and re-fill).
At the concession table there were ALL SORTS of snacks, including pretzels and cotton candy made fresh from a machine!!! Mom went sign crazy and made one for ever item...
The signs stood in different sized glass votives and jars that were decorated with various carnival inspired decor.
Aside from nachos, the dinner food was all made in portions that could be eaten on a stick. Meatballs, chicken cubes, nuggets, mini corn dogs, and corn on the cob all had themed toothpicks so mom made these to hold the skewers upright.
The day of the party Mom got to Life Time at 7am and began the lengthy process of inflating 100 balloons. She arrived back home just before 10am and her and Dad went straight to work in the kitchen, cooking and prepping the food for the party. With only 1 hour to set up the huge gymnasium Mom went into panic mode- good thing Mom and Dad had already brought four car loads of stuff earlier that day. It was a mad dash to set up, but thanks to Alisha, Uncle Will and the staff at Life Time Fitness every thing was ready when the clock struck 4.
Carnival music and characters helped welcome the guests as they entered the party: Dad dressed as the Ringmaster, Vade was the Strongman, and Mom went as the bearded lady!!!
Miss Alisha wore a clown inspired outfit to help at the games, and Taina wore a whimsical, yet kid-appropriate showgirl costume, as she painted faces and applied tattoos in her booth!
The Adults ALL had a blast posing and being silly with one another.
Vade did a great job playing the role of the strongman- he even took turns lifting both Macie and I into the air!
Mom, Dad, and Vade all took turns on the Mic, directing the crowds.
Dad was a natural, Mom was uncharacteristically shy (although she was wearing a silly outfit and a beard), and Vade didn't even need a mic for his voice to roar through the crowd.
It was a mad house- everyone was running around playing, laughing, jumping- having a GOOD TIME for sure!!!
Dad was the PERFECT Ringmaster- he made his way through the crowds making sure every one had a smile on their face!
Every 10 minutes we would have a raffle where my friends would win their pick of a prize from the "Prize Table." There were all sorts of prizes to choose from; candy and coloring books to building blocks and dress up kits.
My friends and their families LOVED being silly at the Photo Booth:
And EVERYONE enjoyed rough housing in the bounce house- we had to be reminded to "mellow out" a few times...
About an hour into the party we grew bored with the concession snack food (popcorn, cotton candy, pretzels, etc.) and wanted more, so the staff brought out a feast fit for a hungry bunch of carnies!!!
For our main meal we ate chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and all sorts of great stuff. My personal favorite was the desert table which featured cake pops, peanut butter balls, fudge, rice krispie treats, and more!!!
After spending WAY too much time at the desert table, Macie had to settle her tummy with some of Mom's carnival inspired drinks (lemonade and sparkling fruit punch).
She had a tummy ache for a while, but it didn't seem to slow her down at all.
The adults enjoyed time catching up with one another,
while the kids enjoyed the "free for all" eating:
Full of food and tired from excitement, I spent some time with Taina in the face painting booth!
I LOVED the sparkle and the jewels!!!
Even Macie managed to sit still long enough to have her face painted!!!
When everyone had finished eating, Mark the Magician walked around to different crowds and wowed everyone with some amazing tricks.
He was a BIG hit, and when he was finished with Magic led the kids in some gym races!
For the rest of the party my friends were able to run around, play games, jump in the bounce house, and ride around on scooters in the racquet ball court- talk about endless fun!!!
As the party began to wind down Mom brought out the cake for singing and everyone crowded around.
When the song ended and I blew out the candles, one of my friends stuck his finger in the side of my cake for a taste. His poor mother was mortified, so Mom seized the moment. Knowing that the cake wasn't going to be set out for the crowd to eat, she was quick on her feet and told everyone to hold up one finger and on the count of three, to dig into the cake- it was a big success!!!
Macie, like most kids licked the whip cream off the top of the cone right away and loved every minute of it!
I made sure to ENJOY my ice cream cone while I posed for silly pictures with Bella.
Tired and full, my friends and their families slowly started to head home. Macie and I played with some of the left over game prizes while the adults began the tedious clean up.
I couldn't stop thanking Mom and Dad for putting together such an INCREDIBLE birthday carnival!
We had a lot of help cleaning up, and thanks to Bella's family, Macie and I had a blast "helping out."
As the adults piled up carloads of items, Bella, Macie, and I used the cart for some entertainment...
Running around the whole gymnasium was a blast!
Macie melted Mom's heart when she grabbed a broom and asked to help sweep!
After a few hours of clean up, we went out back to lead the caravan of cars loaded with stuff back to our house. When we got outside I got the best birthday surprise: My Uncle Brad!!!
He drove ALL THE WAY from Wisconsin!!! I was bummed he missed the party, but know that he will party plenty as he will be living with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back at home the after party continued. Bella, Macie, and I ran around the house while the adults piled stuff into the garage.
Around 10pm the adults, feeling tired, agreed to let us have a pool party. We all got in our skivvies and jumped in!!!
Our time in the pool didn't last too long, as all of us were EXHAUSTED!
The whole family slept in well into Sunday morning. After breakfast Mom let me open two birthday gifts!!!
Mom is insisting that I write thank you cards for each gift I receive, and must finish one before opening another gift. I guess Mom wants to make sure I am grateful for everything I receive, and I SURE AM!!! I had the best party ever and am thankful to everyone who helped make it unforgettable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
