Super Jared to the Rescue!

Superheroes are cool, so that’s what Jared wanted for his party this year.

Here is his comic strip style invitation (I got the idea from someone online):

I made capes out of plastic tablecloths (8 capes for a dollar!) and velcro before the party.   At the party, I had symbols (a star, lightning bolt, and a shield) for the kids to decorate, then used spray adhesive (for scrapbooking) to stick them to the capes.  I had also made masks, but only a few kids wore them.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of the game we played.  First the kids hit a poster of super villains with spidey frisbees, then they sprayed them with spidey webs (silly string).

The cake was a city-scape with heroes & villains fighting all over it.  Jared had requested lemon, strawberry, and orange flavored cake.  Lemon & strawberry I just made from cake mix.  But I’d never seen  orange cake mix!  lol  So, I used yellow cake mix, and just added a packet of orange kool-aid.  It was pretty good!  Anyway, here’s the cake:

Jared says that his favorite part was playing with his friends.  He’s a really sweet kid.

On his birthday, Jared kept saying that he wasn’t five yet, because it wasn’t his birthday party yet.  Now I think he’s convinced. 

“Beat Ben! Beat Ben!”

When my family (the Robarts) is sitting around after dinner, the question sometimes comes up, “What do we want to do?” One of the favorite answers: “Beat Ben!” I don’t really know where that came from (I suspect Debi, lol). We also have suggestions for Mutilate Miriam, Demolish Debi, Rough Up Ruth.  (Yeah, we’re nice people.) But the all-time favorite is Beat Ben.

Last month, we pulled off a Double Surprise Party.  We surprised both Debi (for her birthday) and Ben (for his graduation). Debi helped plan Ben’s party, and Ben helped plan Debi’s party.  They didn’t know the party was being thrown for them, too.

One of the games we came up with to honor Ben, was, of course, Beat Ben.  I hadn’t made a pinata since I was a kid.  My kids hadn’t had any experience with pinatas.  We had so much fun making this one!  I was so glad to have Miriam’s help.  The kids kept asking what they could to to help.  I was cautious about letting them do the messy part.  I wasn’t even sure I was doing it right myself at first.  Then I came up with their assignment: tearing newspaper strips.  They tore and tore and tore!  lol

Here is Ben with his buddy (holding a graduation cap):

Jared and Esther got the first swings, then Ben knocked himself around, then Debi took him down.

Let’s take another look at that:

I hope Ben felt the love. 

We also played a game of “Debi Says” that Teresa made.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pics of that.

Good times, good times.

Pi Pie

I’ve made my first lemon meringue pie! Actually, Tom & I did.  He did the zesting, juicing, and all the meringue.  We let it cook a bit too long, so the tips are too dark, and it was a little runny.  We don’t know whether it was because we let it sit on the counter for hours before eating it, or if we chilled it in the fridge too long beforehand.  Anyway, it tasted DELICIOUS!  I will make one again.

Another first for me was making a 7-layer dip.  Somehow, I’ve just never made one before.  I made mine in the form of a pie.  The “crust” is refried beans, the “filling” is salsa, and the “whipped cream” is sour cream.  Hidden layers are: black beans, guacamole, shredded cheddar jack, and olives.  It turned out great!

 

Both “pies” were made for a 2nd Annual Pi Party we went to today.  Our super cool friends, Dave & Emily, both have birthdays in March.  They celebrate by having a Pi(e) Party, on or near March 14 (3.14- math joke).  Everyone brings pie (or at least snacks in pie pans).  It is so much fun!!

Some of this year’s pies included: pizza pie, shepherds pie, artichoke dip pie, my 7 layer dip pie, chicken enchilada pie, lasagna pie, my lemon meringue pie, chocolate haupia pie, peach cobler pie, banana cream pie, strawberry cheesecake pie, keylime pie, pecan pie, and chocolate satin pie. I might have missed one or two.

My 7-layer dip pie won most unique/ original!

Meet the pies:

 There were two contests.  The kids did a pie-eating contest with those little hand-held pies.  Then the guys did one where they had to find a piece of bubble gum in a pile of whipped cream and be the first to blow a bubble (no hands of course).  Both contests were open to everyone, but thats just how it worked out.  The Newbolds won both games.

The best part was hanging out with friends.

     

 

Happy New Year!

fancy dresses

bubbly drinks

we partied all night long

 

We’ll try not to let Esther have too much this year.

New Years Day 2007

Winter Wonderland with Old St. Nick

(post title written by Esther)

We had a good time at our Ward Christmas party.  Esther & Jared were so excited when Santa came out!  They’ve been asking for weeks when they were going to get to talk to Santa this year. 

This is the first year that I didn’t have a kid crying because they were afraid of Santa.  It was so nice!  They waited in line eagerly, then happily climbed in his lap.   They talked for a few minutes (I think they both asked for teddy bears- Jared wanted a blue one) and got treats from Santa. 

Afterward, they kept saying that it was the REAL Santa.  They’ve seen some not-so-real-looking ones on TV and at stores.  Just look at him!  I believe it was the real one, too. 

It was magical.

        

The Cooking Show! The Cooking Show!

the kids are chanting right now.  Luckily, they think that 3-1/2 hrs isn’t a long time to wait until our Pampered Chef show tonight.  They pretty much think these “cooking shows” are parties for them.  They love our “cooking lady”, Lisa, and can’t wait to start helping her in the kitchen tonight!

 

P.S.  The answers to the 1st grade quiz will be coming soon.

 

Wonderland

A week ago Saturday, our little Essie turned six.

She requested an Alice birthday, and I did my best to create Wonderland.

 

For months before, I scavenged thrift stores for various teacups & teapots.  My sister, Miriam, piped “eat me” on cookies for hours.  I looked up topsy turvy cakes online (and was quite pleased with how it turned out!).  Paper lanterns and friends completed the setting.

 

After tipping teacups, out came the plastic bag aprons and the red paint!  Earlier that week, I’d painted the rose bushes on 15ft of butcher paper.  What a lot of green poster paint it took!  White silk roses were collected from the Dollar Tree and cardboard boxes for reinforcement from Walmart at 11o’clock at night.

The little artists worked (some meticulously, others haphazardly), to fix the cards’ mistake.

That’s enough!  Off with their heads!

 

Cake, presents, croquet & party favors and Ta Da!  A fabulous party!

Most of the photos are courtesy of my sister, Debi.

Post-Edit:

I forgot that I had wanted to include this pic, of the wonderful twilight dinner we enjoyed with some family that stayed after the party (Didn’t John & Tom take wonderful advantange of the party strings by adding the lights?):