Once again, the time has come for Sister's birthday party. I absolutely love planning her parties, and getting everything ready. This year, Sister wanted a tea party. We talked about different ideas for her party and came up with a list of activities.
We started with setting the table for her guests.
Every guest got a teacup with their initial painted on the sides.
They were served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the shape of hearts, cheese cubes...
...strawberries and carrots.
Daddy found a bubble machine on sale and surprised Sister with it. The bubble machine was turned on when the friends started to come, which allowed for lots of dancing in the bubbles! Below is a picture of Sister and her very good friend.
Once most of the friends arrived, we started the games. First up: Pass The Teapot. The kids sat in a circle and passed the teapot while music played. Once the music stopped, the kid with the teapot opened it to get a necklace (except for the boy, whom got a sheriff star).
Sister was the first to get a necklace, and picked blue to match her dress.
Next, the kids went upstairs to search for teabags. The each got more jewelry and fuzzy hats. Here is a great picture of five of the kids with their hats:
Once the kids were all dolled up, they paraded down the stairs while the adults applauded for them. After all this work, it was time to eat and, what else, drink tea! Daddy dressed in traditional waiter's clothes (black pants, white shirt, black tie) and acted as the waiter for the tea party, serving every child.
One of the many pictures of Sister smiling at her party:
And her friend, E, smiling as well:
After eating, the kids went to the kitchen table for their craft. The girls painted miniature teapots and teacups, the boys painted model buses, and the little kids colored wooden animals.
While the kids did their craft, I set up the cupcakes. This year, we gave each child a cupcake and let them add toppings. Obviously, not the healthiest choice, but we think the bananas in the cupcakes help offset the overwhelming amounts of sugar.
Before we let the kids eat cupcakes, we brought them outside for some exercise and fresh air. Today, we did a sugar cube relay race. The objective was simple: make two teams and run from one line to another with a spoon holding a cube of sugar...and don't let the sugar fall on the ground. I smile whenever I look at this picture because those girls were determined and running as fast as possible in their beautiful fluffy dresses. 
Once the children were sufficiently exhausted, it was time for cupcakes. We sang, Sister smiled.
She was impressed with the candy options; half of which she had never experienced before in her life.
Finally, it was time for Birthday Bingo. I created a Bingo Board with pictures of the kids at the party and clip art relevant to the day (teacup, strawberry, sugar cube, etc).
Since in our circle of friends we don't give presents but do a gift exchange of some sort, I asked all kids to bring a wrapped book. As kids won the game, they got to pick a book until all kids had a gift in hand.
As the party started to come to an end, the guests lined up in their beautiful outfits.
Sister and her friend since birth, A, as a sea of tulle and taffeta surround them.
Although at this point I had exhausted all games, activities, and crafts that I planned, the kids weren't ready to be finished yet. Thus, an impromptu game of "Duck Duck Goose" broke out. Somehow, as this picture shows, Daddy ended up as the monkey in the middle, which the kids thought was great...
...which brings me to another point. What a great dad! I mean, how many guys would help set up the party, dress up as a waiter, serve a room full of four year olds, participate in every activity, and keep a smile on his face for the entire party?!? You are superdad!
One of the many pictures of Sister smiling at her party:
And her friend, E, smiling as well:
After eating, the kids went to the kitchen table for their craft. The girls painted miniature teapots and teacups, the boys painted model buses, and the little kids colored wooden animals.
While the kids did their craft, I set up the cupcakes. This year, we gave each child a cupcake and let them add toppings. Obviously, not the healthiest choice, but we think the bananas in the cupcakes help offset the overwhelming amounts of sugar.
Before we let the kids eat cupcakes, we brought them outside for some exercise and fresh air. Today, we did a sugar cube relay race. The objective was simple: make two teams and run from one line to another with a spoon holding a cube of sugar...and don't let the sugar fall on the ground. I smile whenever I look at this picture because those girls were determined and running as fast as possible in their beautiful fluffy dresses. 
Once the children were sufficiently exhausted, it was time for cupcakes. We sang, Sister smiled.
She was impressed with the candy options; half of which she had never experienced before in her life.
Finally, it was time for Birthday Bingo. I created a Bingo Board with pictures of the kids at the party and clip art relevant to the day (teacup, strawberry, sugar cube, etc).
Since in our circle of friends we don't give presents but do a gift exchange of some sort, I asked all kids to bring a wrapped book. As kids won the game, they got to pick a book until all kids had a gift in hand.
As the party started to come to an end, the guests lined up in their beautiful outfits.
Sister and her friend since birth, A, as a sea of tulle and taffeta surround them.
Although at this point I had exhausted all games, activities, and crafts that I planned, the kids weren't ready to be finished yet. Thus, an impromptu game of "Duck Duck Goose" broke out. Somehow, as this picture shows, Daddy ended up as the monkey in the middle, which the kids thought was great...
...which brings me to another point. What a great dad! I mean, how many guys would help set up the party, dress up as a waiter, serve a room full of four year olds, participate in every activity, and keep a smile on his face for the entire party?!? You are superdad!Happy birthday to my little princess. You are the light of my life.
