birthday party time!

On Friday night, we went out to Red Robin for Britton's birthday dinner.  We wanted a restaurant that wouldn't take forever to get us food and where they would bring out a sundae and sing "Happy Birthday" to the birthday girl.  Done and done!

Then we went home and opened presents from the family!  Britton got some great gifts, and she loved just tearing into that wrapping paper.

Saturday was the party day.  We went with a rainbow/princess/Strawberry Shortcake modgepodge theme, because Britton kept changing her mind!  I figured we could either do a theme-perfect "Pinterest" party or give Britton the party she really really really wanted, and I went with the latter.   The hubs and I went out Friday night to get "a couple" of balloons, and got up-sold to two dozen balloons, and a giant Strawberry Shortcake balloon and a Disney Princesses balloon!

We woke up Saturday morning to rain.  Of course.  But we decided to trudge on as if the clouds weren't there, and we set up the outdoor activities and party tables.  Luckily, not 10 minutes before the party was set to begin, the rain stopped!  It was a little humid, yes, but at least I wouldn't have 8 kids running around my house.  The biggest hit was the rainbow Whirly lollipops!  The kids were intrigued by the ribbon dot candy, but it was the lollipops they all ran for!

We brought the Radio Flyer pony out, and the kids lined up to ride it.  And there was a constant stream of kids running back and forth between the playset and the bouncy house.  One of Britton's teachers came to the party, and the poor girl was stuck in the bouncy house all morning because the kids would not let her get out!  I admit it, the hubs and I jumped in the bouncy house when all the kids had left.  Sadly, it wore us out in two minutes flat!

The hubs grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch.  Memaw and I made pasta salad, potato salad, deviled eggs, veggies and dip, chips, fruit salad, and cake pops.  The moms went crazy over the cotton candy and the rainbow sherbet punch!  It was fun having some retro throw-back treats that we all remembered but hadn't had in years.

Princess cake and princess cake plates.  Really, the theme boiled down to "saturation of color!"

I've been to a couple of parties recently where the kid didn't open his birthday gifts in front of the guests.  I get it - you don't want all the kids snatching the presents away, or you're worried your kid will be rude and say something about disliking a gift in front of the giver.  But I like to see kids opening the presents I bought them, and I want Britton to know proper etiquette when opening gifts.  So we gathered around, and this girl got some great gifts (and remembered to say thank you to each giver)!

She loved her birthday quilt!  

Yes, she's in a Belle dress.  Britton had 3 costume changes during the party!  It was a great time for all, and the whole party really flew by.  All the kids went home exhausted from the bouncy house and sticky from the cotton candy and lollipops, which I count as a successful party!