Party party Party

Today is the big day!  The combined party for Zachary's 7th and Wyatt's 5th birthdays!

We started the party off early.  The jump house people got to our house around 8:30am - we were still eating breakfast - to set up the jump house.  Very cool!  It takes up nearly the entire back yard.  

The banner

One corner of the lawn

The other corner!

We got some good jumping time in before the party even started.

In their jammies of course. :)

The party started at 11am, with a "strict" schedule.  As kids came in they were directed to the table which was extended, decorated with an angry birds table cloth, and had the makings for personal size piñatas for each kid.  Stickers, markers, etc.  When not making their piñata, they were able to play inside, or go jump outside.  Once everyone had made their own piñata, I filled them with candy and added the string.

I need to insert a little tidbit here, before we continue.  I am the WORST picture taker at our kid's parties, and have always been.  It is sad, because these are the pictures we want to have and would mean a lot to the boys.  Alas, I am terrible, so most of the party was not documented.  Including the decorations.  Our outside table had the umbrella up and a matching angry bird table cloth.  The theme for their party was "everything".  They picked it.  A little bit of all of their favorite stuff: Star Wars, Angry Birds, Superheroes, Four Square (Zachary), Playground (Wyatt), soccer, and as an impulse, Ninja Turtles (we got NT plates).  It was like the boy aisle of Party City exploded on our house. :)  And i have no pictures.  Sigh.

Back to piñatas.  Each kid got to take their turn to bust open their bag.  A special thanks to Joy for this idea.  She did this with Zachary and Wyatt shortly after Yannick was born, when she came to visit us in our old Evanston apartment.  No surprise, the kids LOVED it.  I gave them each a little soccer ball decorated ziploc bag to collect all the candy that came out of their bags.  Luckily, someone took my phone and took a few pictures when it was my kids' turns.

 

Oh yes, the big kids got a blindfold and the little kids did not.  We also learned that it was helpful to pre-tear the bags for the younger kids.

DaU helping out

I love how Art is turned away in this picture, afraid of flying candy. :)

Wyatt was considered a younger kid, so no blindfold.

Then it was time to go to the playground for a bit.  I am sure everyone would have been fine staying at our house, but playing Four Square was a MUST for Zachary's party.  So we headed down there for about 20-25 minutes until it was time for lunch.  Again, I took no pictures, but luckily I remembered to ask Art to take some pictures of Z playing a version for Four Square with his buddy Jeffrey (who taught him to play at school) and Ethan, a friend from his soccer team. 

Having to play 3 square because Aidan did not want to play

Four Square causality

 We also brought down sidewalk chalk and bubbles for the kids.  Seemed like everyone was having a good time.  I left about 10 minutes before everyone else to get our taco ingredients ready.  YUM!  Unfortunately, I bought the club size, and had 80 tortillas.  Small ones, like taco truck size, but still, we had more than half left!  We will be eating tacos for a long time.

After lunch, Zachary was desperate to do pie in the face.  It was getting a bit late. Art and Wyatt were going to a beekeeper class at McClellan Ranch at 2pm.  But, it was deemed that there was enough time to do pie in the face AND make it to class on time.  Wyatt still did not want to do it, though he is the one that always talks about it.  Zachary DID want to

Zachary coming up close for the kill shot

Zachary's buddy Aidan also wanting to do it

The "pie" was the same kind we did last summer to Poppi.  Cool Whip on a paper plate.  Not a real pie, but the idea is the same.

Ethan gets a crack at it, which his Dad is watching on, as he just came to pick him up. 

While Wyatt did not want to, his buddy Tobin DID

My favorite part is that Tobin is using 2 hands AND does not want to let go of his prized tennis ball. :)

It is also cute how Yannick and Noah are looking on too.

After that the party wound down pretty quickly.  Nothing like a party killer like the host taking one of the birthday boys.  I felt badly kicking everyone out, and it would have been fine for them to stay, but once one person leaves, they all take off. :)

It was a successful party and we still get many hours left with the jump house!