The Party Post

It should come as no surprise 

that as the mother of 8 children

I've done a birthday party or two...or fifty.

We have three September birthdays,

so we celebrate them all on one day.

Ruby, Christopher, and Linnea

had their party this past Sunday.

This is how

I decorated the cupcakes:

super easy.

Especially since Linnea did it.

(Oh, and Auntie Tammy helped poke some suckers in, too.)

We've done a variety of things to celebrate the children's birthdays over the years.

When we had a few children,

each got their own special day.

Our extended families mostly live within driving distance.

We used to invite several people over for each birthday.

I'd plan a big Sunday noon dinner and

work like crazy the day before, stay up most of the night,

wake up early, get things set, head off to church,

and hope no one arrived before we got back home.

We'd eat dinner, visit, open gifts, have cake/coffee/ice cream, and visit some more.

Then, it got too much for me.

I had to admit it.

So now we do just grandmas and grandpas,

aunts and uncles

and godparents.

And I don't make dinner for everyone anymore.

We do 2:00 cake and ice cream.

Since our children's birthdays fall 

fairly close together

(2 in February, 1 in March, 3 in September and 2 in November)

they share their "party day" with the sibling who's birthday is in the same month,

on the Sunday afternoon we choose.

We have sort of developed a tradition of having Papa Murphy's pizza

on the actual day of the child's birthday.

This is also the day they receive their gift from Dennis and I.

We want them to have a day that's just about them.

The kids think it's great

because "it's kind of like getting TWO parties!"

Lucky for me,

they are easily impressed,

easily satisfied,

and easily entertained.

Ruby and Elijah sat in my dad's lap.
That's their favorite spot, I think!

Christopher blew hard and got all FIVE candles out!

Linnea gears up to blow out her two cupcakes.
Five candles was all each one would hold. =)