The night before Rebecca's 5th birthday she spent the night with the Other Mezgers because we were hosting my bro's engagement party. At first I was very careful with her reminding her how much we love her and that we would see her in the morning after breakfast...and then I realized how little she cared that she wouldn't be waking up at home (or with us) on her birthday. She was over the moon excited about having a sleepover with her cousins and she knew they have special "birthday pancakes" so she was good-to-go.
Birthday Breakfast at the Mukes - I want to wake up there on my birthday too!
I sent the sash and tiara and she wore them to church like any good birthday princess.
(Sidenote - she was obsessed with the cupcake candle w/ the 5 on it. She carried it around in a little bag for the week between her actual party and her birthday. And then she whipped it out at her party and put it on her cupcake so we could light it and sing. And it was a good thing because the party wasn't at home and I hadn't remembered a candle. Party Planner Rebecca to the rescue - always prepared!)
So, on the evening of her actual birthday we told her she could pick a restaurant for dinner. I asked her where she might want to go and she replied "someplace fancy." Then she said, after thinking for a moment, "how 'bout the cafeteria!" Kyle tried several different tactics to persuade her otherwise but this girl wanted fancy and that meant Luby's - I mean, where else can you get jello, fried okra and a balloon??? And its' all so fancy!
We actually passed on jello this time because the sprinkle cupcakes looked so, well, fancy!
Alright, on to the party the next weekend. I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned Rebecca's ninja obsession. Not sure where she got it - but she's got it. And she has moves. It only took a few minutes in the backyard to get her doing some of her moves to capture this image for her invite. I don't think you can teach a non-ninja this. It's innate. She IS a ninja princess.
Before she sprung "I want a ninja party" on me I was already really really wanting to do her party at the little gymnastics place she did class last spring w/ Nana - they do parties and make it soooooooooo easy on the parents. So, it took a little convincing to get Rebecca on board - that it would be a Ninja Princess Gymnastics Party (because gymnastics is clearly like basic training for ninjas), but she agreed - happy mommy!
Other than making some little ninja headbands at party favors all I had to do was make cupcakes - and she and Maggie helped. And by helped, I actually mean helped! Or at least I don't mean caused more mess in the kitchen than if I had been baking with feral monkeys. Yet another way that ages 3 and 5 is better than 2 and 4!
And from here on out we just sat back! The 3 "coaches" totally went with the theme and made all of their games "ninja-y" even if it was just in how they described them. Rebecca was in full costume. And she was the self-proclaimed "leader of the ninja team."
Giving instructions (to the coaches) about how they were going to play Ninja Hide-And-Seek next - which, was totally not part of their normal plan, but they went with it. Big.Tip.
Dance Party.
Some parachute time - I didn't hear how they connected this to the ninja theme but I now they did!
Happy birthday was sung inside.
Ninja jumping?
Ninja running?
Ninja line-standing.
Snack and cupcake time. (Did I mention the coaches helped serve the food and did all the clean-up? I've drunk the koolaid people.)
Ninja singing.
Sure am glad she had that candle! (She's the one who gave it to the coach!)
Maggie and Owie
The whole crew (parents and all) doing "Ice Cream and Cake" - song/dance.
The kids had SO much fun and it was SO easy for me. Seriously I want to do ALL of our future parties like this. What other themes can we coordinate w/ gymnastics. My little pony gymnastics? Lego gymnastics? Dora gymnastics? Transformer gymnastics? Let me know if you have ideas...
Oh, 2 other things I want to remember:
1) One of Rebecca's "love languages" is gifts. No doubt. She has a hard time letting anyone leave our house without giving them something. When we had about a 6 week stretch of weekly repairmen for the dishwasher she liked to give away all our apples so they could have a snack on the road. So, for her birthday, she kept having me retell her who had given her what (after she opened gifts) and then she'd sigh and say something nice about it/them - you could tell she was really thinking about each of her friends/family in connection w/ the gift.
2) She knows how to milk a good birthday week. Having her actual birthday and her party almost a week apart meant we (but mostly Owen and Maggie) heard - I get to pick, it's my birthday! - sooooo may times.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBECCA!!! WE LOVE YOU!
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