Verdict: I am getting too old for these home-grown parties! Julie's birthday party was finally held this afternoon, and it was an undeniable success, despite one minor injury incurred during a vigorous game of Fishy Fishy Cross My Ocean, one bout of sadness, one stomach ache, and a few whining whiny whiners.
My big fear was that we'd run out of things to do, but luckily we didn't. Some of the girls didn't want to play the more active games, and others claimed they were bored by the sedentary activities, but they all enjoyed decorating cupcakes and cookies and then wolfing them down. We also taped down a big paper banner for them all to decorate with birthday greetings for Julie, and that was a big hit:
I am wiped. I want to go on record stating that this was the last non-outsourced party for my kids.
YOU are a great mom, continuing with such creative at home parties for so long. Looking back, I wish I had been more creative... with the parties. Next year, manicures!
Posted by: Dana | December 05, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Sounds like it was a roaring cupcaked success. You did good, Mama.
Posted by: Jannie | December 05, 2008 at 12:32 PM
What is Fishy Fishy Cross My Ocean? Have I been living in a cave?
Posted by: Wendy | December 05, 2008 at 02:01 PM
I'm sure you just call it something else out there on the West Coast. One person is the shark. She stands behind the line on one side of the room (we put masking tape lines on the floor). All the other kids are the fishies; they stand behind the line across the room. The shark shouts "Fishy, fishy, cross my ocean!" All the fishies have to try to run to the other line without getting tagged by the shark. If they all make it across safely, the shark tries again from the other side. You can play that the first person to get tagged becomes the shark and the original shark becomes a fishy for the next round. Or you can have it so that tagged fishies become seaweed. They stay where they are but can wave their arms and try to tag other fishies too, and the last fishy becomes the next shark.
Posted by: Karen | December 05, 2008 at 02:36 PM