Dr. Seuss Birthday Party

Well, the big Dr. Seuss birthday party was this past weekend, and it went off without a hitch... until one hour after everyone left, when Jim got some kind of stomach bug.  Thirty-two hours later my house is still in post-party state, and Jim still has a fever.  I can't remember the last time I was this tired.

Anyway, without further delay, here are some party pictures!  (If I don't post them now, I may get so overwhelmed by this mess that it never gets done!)

(I made this shirt for Brennan and made a Green Eggs and Ham shirt for Cora, but she wouldn't stand still long enough to let me take a picture!)

Decor:

Having decided to do this theme a long time ago really helped me to do some advance shopping and keep my eyes peeled for great bargains, like this giant flower I found at Michael's for about $1.50 or $2 a couple of months ago.  I wasn't even looking for it, but when I walked by it, it just screamed Dr. Seuss to me.  The fabric on the table is actually Dr. Seuss fabric I found at a local fabric store, and I had them cut me only a tiny amount to use for a runner.  The circles are done with a scalloped circle punch on cardstock, and the tablecloths are from the dollar store (GREAT place to buy plastic tablecloths, silverware, etc.!)

I made Truffala trees from The Lorax out of cardstock and butcher paper and hung various quotes on the wall throughout the rooms.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

For treat bags, I decided to color copy the Dr. Seuss fabric I used to make the kids' shirts and Brennan's birthday banner.  I just used small white craft bags I already had on hand and glued on the cutouts.

I had intended to hang paper circles from the chandelier, but at the last minute, I got the idea to cut the circles into spirals and make these awesome curly things:

They were some of my favorite decor, and they were totally unplanned.  I also picked up some shiny (read: ugly) tinsel for $.50 a package at Target after Christmas.  At the time, I wasn't sure exactly how I would use it, but I knew it was perfectly Seuss-like.

I couldn't bear to do a Dr. Seuss party without streamers or tissue poms...

And I threw in a few balloons that I already had in my drawer.

On the table was the piñata that we would later use outside, and the guests were asked to sign a copy of the Dr. Seuss book, "Happy Birthday to You!"

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Games and Activities:

The kids did a few relays, one of which was to carry a fish in a bowl like the Cat in the Hat.  The point of that one was really to teach the kids how to do a relay, as most kids this age don't really know yet and the next relay was more complicated.  I also wanted the littlest kids in the group to have a chance to participate.

Next, we did a Green Eggs and Ham relay.  The kids had to carry green eggs (thank goodness for Easter decorations!) on a wooden spoon to a piece of ham and then go back and tag the next player who went to retrieve them and carry them back.  

This game would have been a lot more fun if the wind hadn't been so wicked!

Inside, we played Pin the Wocket on Brennan's Pocket!  I got a poster-size photo of Brennan (standing like the cover of the Dr. Seuss book, "There's a Wocket in my Pocket") printed at Office Max for around $4 in black and white.  It was going to be about $40 to print it in color, but black and white worked just fine at that price!

After we ate, we headed outside to the swingset (which you can see was completely built in time!  Hooray for Daddy of the YEAR!) to do a pullstring piñata.  I loved that the kids didn't have to whack at it, especially in the gusting wind!

After the piñata broke and the kids scrambled to fill their goody bags...

 (Sidebar: Check out that gorgeous view in my back yard!  I still pinch myself when I look at it!)

...everyone got back in the bounce house, which our church owns and loans to its members:

When the kids were completely worn out, it was time for everyone to go home.  The kids all got to pick a book to take with them.  I found the books at Sam's Club in packages of three for about $9. So, for $3 a book, I was thrilled to send the kids home with something useful instead of a bag of pencils, noise makers, and other junk.

Tomorrow (hopefully) I'll share a little about the party food and what I learned from this event.  And now I'm going to go crash so I can attack this disaster of a house in the morning.

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I'm linking to Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge!