Angry Birds and Eating Fried Worms

My baby boy turned 8 on Monday!

Wow, has the time flown by! I can't believe that my little boy, who was 6 weeks early, and only 4 pounds when we left the hospital, is now to my shoulders, and big enough to be out of a booster seat!

Sigh.

This year we had a very difficult time coming up with a Birthday Party idea. Parents who live in cold climates, and have kids with Winter Birthdays understand my dilema.

1) The weather in Maryland is soo unpredictable. For example, it flurried on Saturday morning, and we had 40 mph winds, plus 30 degree temperatures. On Sunday, it was 60 degrees and sunny!

2) When your child wants to invite more then 10 friends and you live in a modest house, that is going through a remodel due to the flooded basement....you don't want to have a party at home.

3) 8 years old, well that means that we have had to come up with 7 previous party ideas for places, and it's no fun duplicating a party.

Here's the rundown

Age 1- Pirate party at home (just family and close friends)

Age 2- Bob the Builder Party at a local Kids gym

Age 3- Curious George/Firetruck Party at a local volunteer Fire House (Very cool party)

Age 4- Indoor Treehouse and obstacle course at Athletic Center

Age 5- Indoor Bounce House Party

Age 6- Pirate Party at Indoor Swim Club

Age 7- Ice Skating Party at indoor ice rink

Age 8- ??? What to do??

E loves Angry Birds, so I was trying to come up with a theme related to them. Like what??

Well...there is a local up and coming business close to our home that hosts video game parties.

So, I asked what E thought of that idea..and it was quickly shot down. I was surprised by his reaction, but when he explained that he wanted all of his friends to be together, and not in separate cubbies playing individual games, I understood.

When I went to the video game center, they showed me another option for a party. They have a Private screening room! It's awesome! It's a room with speakers lining all of the walls, and three levels of chairs, all leather, some reclining.  The movie screen is an 133inch HD screen where you can play the movie of your choice.

So, what movie could keep 15 8 year old boys (3 girls) interested in a movie theater that 's not too babyish, but fun? I had no clue!!

So I searched a mom forum, and found out about a movie from 2006 (the kids would have been 2) called HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS

Angry Birds and FRIED WORMS...OMG, it was meant to be!!!

I repurposed an easle that I recently used at a bridal tea, and made it a Now showing board.

I decorated it with worm balloons that I found at party city, but I didn't get a picture prior to the kids deflating them.

I had all of the parents write down their names and provide cell #'s in case of an emergency,and told them to enjoy the next 2-1/2 hours...we'd see them when they came back!

I gave each of the kids a ticket stub and prior to them going into the theater I drew 5 tickets.

These are the 5 kids that would get to sit in the reclining chairs with E. I didn't want there to be any fighting, so I thought that this was the most fair way to do this.

I also gave each of the kids a glow bracelet and had them put them on. I instructed them that if they needed an adult during the movie, or needed to use the restroom, to raise their hand and someone would help them.

 (This was a pretty genius idea if I must say so!!)

Right before the movie started, I gave the kids a party horn, and told them that whenever they saw a worm or the word worm was shown, to blow their horms!! (This kept the movie interactive!!)

After the movie, we had popcorn, pizza, dirt cake, worm(jello) shots, giant marshmallows, licorice, gummy worms, spiral worm cheese doodles, worms(squirt cheese) on crackers, and a cake made by my neighbor!

Here's a glimpse of some of the party..

Notice that E and his daddy are wearing the same shirt!!

For goodie bags, I made Angry Birds and Pigs, thanks to this link that I found from The Party Animal.

I filled them with spiral straws from the dollar store, Angry Bird Gummie snacks from 5 Below, and a custom made cookie from my local bakery.

It was a fun and different party! And I've received messages form many of the parents about how much their kids liked it!!

Linking to:

Chalkboard Closet

son has been asking me for months now for a chalkboard for his room.

I finally gave in and decided that we would make a small chalkboard on his closet door.His room is only about 10 x 10 and one entire wall is two huge metal closet doors.

When we transitioned from toddler room to kid room, we let him choose the wall color, and decorative accents. The colors are mainly primary with emphasis on blue and red. The theme is transportation.

His walls are Buzz Lightyear Blue and we kept the wainscoting from when his room was a nursery to break up the bright blue color. The closet doors were painted with a coat of white, and believe it or not, as ugly as they are, they actually help add light and brighten up his small space.

This project was my very first experience with CHALKBOARD paint. I didn't want traditional black or green, so we decided on blue, and picked up a small container at JoAnn's. *$6.99

(I forgot my coupon for 40% off non sale items, and the cashier would not let me have the discount without it, Boo!)

I started by having E stand in front of the closet door and had him reach as far as he could. Then I marked the height based on his reach. I used a tape measure and decided on making a 2' square chalkboard.

I measured all 4 sides, used a level, and taped off the square.

Then, using a foam brush, I painted the chalkboard.

I let it dry for an hour, then added a second coat as per the instructions on the container. When dry, I peeled the tape off and decided to give the chalkboard a red border.

I  put tape on the inside of the blue painted square and then I placed a piece of the painters tape against the border of the blue square  and added a square all of the way around the outer edge to make the area for the frame.

I removed the inner pieces of tape, and painted red.

After 24 hours, I rubbed chalk on the entire chalkboard surface, and then used a sock as an eraser to remove.

(as per instructions on the paint)

He loves it!

Linking to:

These are a Few of my Favorite Things...

Don't you feel like you should be wearing a flared skirt, and spinning in a field of flowers, while singing the infamous song sang by Julie Andrews?? 

You're welcome for the earworm!

I'm soo looking forward to the weekend, yes it's only Monday,and they are calling for severe thunderstorms every day this week, and traffic is sure to be horrendus, but a girl needs something to look forward to right?

There are lots of plans for the weekend..

#1 Saturday and Sunday, The Lucketts Spring Market 
($7pp per day)

Oh.....My!!!! I am so excited for this!!

It's in Leesburg, Virginia, and is basically a Huge Craft show!! But it's a lot of re-salvaged items, cottage style, vintage items, collectables, home decor and furniture!

Here are some pictures, directly from the Lucketts website of some of last year's goodies:

         

#2 Saturday PREAKNESS 
(Prices Vary)

The infield party should be wild and crazy....this year's sales pitch is: "The people's race- The People's Party", and their mascot is: Kegasus

There are great musicians playing including: Bruno Mars (love him), Train (Hey soul sister) and Phil Vassar.

OH, and a horse race will take place!

I'm past the whole hanging out in a wet and muddy field drinking beer and overpriced wine, with wall to wall people, who by race time are so drunk that they are passing out and throwing up on one another, so instead, I'll be enjoying the race with the company of  friends at one of the neighbors houses at their

annual Preakness Party!

We'll be drinking Black Eyed Susans

And grilling, and singing, and dancing in the streets, all until the wee hours of the morning, or when we decide that we've had enough, and then we just walk home!!

#3) Saturday and Sunday

Andrews Airforce Base Joint Service Open House
 (free)

This is a wonderful experience for all Americans to take part in.(If you are in the Maryland, PA,NJ, DC, or Virginia, area, I suggest that you attend this event at least once in your life! 

It's the Andrews Airforce Base Annual Airshow.

The Golden Knights Paratroopers, Thunderbird Jets, and various other Military Aircraft perform live for crowds of thousands.

You are able to climb inside of F-22 fighter jets, tanks, and Helicopters.

It is a little boy's dream!!!! I've been attending since I was a kid, and honestly, it never gets old.

There is such a sense of American pride!!

I am Really looking forward to the weekend!!

                           

       
         

Proud Mommy

Tonight was the awards ceremony for the Reflections program sponsored by E's school's PTA.

"Each year, the PTA Reflections Program challenges students to create art inspired by a specific theme, and students submit entries to a local PTA or PTSA. Nationally, the program has six arts areas—dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts—"

Reflections Program PTA

This year's theme was "Together we can..."

E submitted entries in three of the six catagories: Literature, Photography, and Visual Arts.

He drew a picture of a farm, he took a photograph of a birdhouse, that he and his father built, and he wrote a story about a Hermit Crab.

He won honorable mentions for his photograph and his short story, 2 $5 Target gift cards, a participation medal and a trophy for entering art in three catagories.

Every student is individually acknowledged on stage, and given a participation medal.
E loves to hear his name read outloud in a room full of people. It doens't matter if he wins or looses, he just likes the recognition!

I highly reccommend this program to everyone who has children in a school that participates.
I am a  very proud mommy!!

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

On Thursday, after school E lost his 2nd tooth.

I was soo glad. It was just hanging there for the whole week. It was gross.(Esp. when it moved back and forth when he was talking- you have to stare at it, you can't help yourself- like in the movie Uncle Buck when John Candy goes to see the principal, and she has the big mole on her face..love that movie, gotta watch it soon!)

I didn't know that the tooth came out until I was already home from work. I don't carry cash, I'm one of "those" people who use my bank card for everything. It's a bad thing and a good thing at the same time. (I'm less likely to buy a $2 soda with my bank card then I am to spend $2 dollar bills)

I had no cash to leave under E's pillow. (And the tooth fairy isn't cheap now a days) But, just my luck, he informed me that he couldn't put it under his pillow until Friday night, becasue he had to take his tooth to school and to the nurse.

me-"Why do you have to take your tooth to the nurse, she's not the tooth fairy?" E-"Duh, mom, I know that, but she gives anyone that looses their tooth a tooth necklace, and you get to wear your tooth in the necklace all day at school, and show all of your friends, and I just have to show everybody this bad boy!"

So, I lucked out!

Friday night E goes to bed and I told him that he had to leave his tooth, in the tooth necklace on his desk for the tooth fairy. (He is a very light sleeper, so I didn't want to wake him while leaving the goods!

I left this note for him on his desk.  It reads,

Dear E,
    

Thank you so much for loosing your 2^nd tooth.

This is a very nice tooth.

It looks like you took extra special care of it while it was in your mouth.

I can tell that you brushed it every day.

(Or almost every day)

Keep up the good job, and don’t forget to floss!

There is a little gift waiting for you in the kitchen.

See you soon!

Love,

                   The Tooth Fairy

I put Fairy dust (clear glitter) on the image of the Fairy, and on the signature.

The tooth fairy left him $5, a matchbox car, (that I got for 25 cents at Target on Clearance- I stocked up with about 10 of those, as he's starting to loose teeth, and they are great package tie on's for Birthday gifts) and a drawing book that I bought at 5 Below for him for Christmas that I hid, forgot where I put it, and found it a week ago!)

I heard him jump out of bed, read the note out loud, then run in to the kitchen. Then he ran into my room, where he explained that he got a personal note from the tooth fairy and lots of loot!!

He's got two more loose teeth, guess I better have the next letters ready and waiting!