Halloween Birthday Carnival

I do not like to throw birthday parties.  Or really any kind of party.  I do think they are fun and I don't mind them once they're started.  I'm pretty easy-going and know that usually kids or adults who like each other don't really care how "great" a party is, they're just happy to be having a party.  Its the prep that stresses me out and keeps me up at night.  But for some reason I felt the need for Deedle and Loumy to have a big deal made about their birthdays this year.  For so many of their birthdays I have been sick or otherwise afflicted that they have had to make do with not a whole lot going on.  This year I decided to combine their birthdays and have a big carnival.  It did indeed stress me out.  And I was sick with a sinus infection but the current stomach virus I have now did not bother me until several days after the party.  Thank goodness for a healthy day to do a party!

Anyway, I let the kids help me plan a bunch of games, do a lot of shopping, make their own invitations, and decorate posters.  I put my game face on...
Made some yummy (Mummy) treats...

Did some decorating (with a lot of help from Catherine and the kids)...

The older kids (cousins including Morphis's) were set as my helpers.  Then we let the party begin.  There was face painting.  Most kids wanted a little ghost or a butterfly or something.  One of Deedle's more interesting friends insisted on a werewolf.   I gave several other suggestions but Heather wouldn't budge.  Emma was in charge and didn't look too thrilled about the idea.  I said no way.  Catherine stepped up to the plate.  It was awesome.

 We played "Wrap the Mummy".

 We had several games to play where each child could earn tickets to later redeem for prizes at the treat table.

Two of the games were throwing darts at balloons in the shapes of ghosts and pumpkins.  Three of Matt Morphis's darts were thrown into our neighbors' yard.   Two were recovered but the third was either eaten by one of their two Great Danes or lost forever in a pile of the excrement.  Here you see Deedle throwing with all her might...and Matt watching another one go over the fence. :( Sorry Matt.

Though it ended up that I would count each child's tickets then tell them to choose one of each item from the table to put in their bags, they found gathering tickets to be quite exciting.  Even Finn earned his and kept them carefully in his pocket.

 (Have I mentioned that this child of mine breaks my heart every time I look at him?)

 We ate pizza, drank "witches brew" (isn't dry ice so super fun?), opened presents and I think I only heard one child cry the whole time. It was the werewolf, but she got over it.  All in all, I'd say it was a very fine Halloween/Birthday/Carnival/Bash for Loumy and Deeds.