Happy Birthday, Ladies!

I have a tendency to stress out about birthday parties, but I didn't over do this one.  I kept it fun and fast paced, with out too much extra work from mom.  Most of it I through together the day of.  

For a brief moment on that night, I REALLY wished that I was 13 again.  This never has happened to me before, since really, I like being a grown up and all.  But these girls were having so much fun, belting out songs at the top of their lungs, wanting to roll the windows down and wave to strangers (I was like, girls,  you don't realize what street we're on here!  We do not want to wave to people on this street late at night! we did not wave to anyone as I am a still safe and responsible mother) and just being so care free.

Here's the birthday run down, the things I want to remember most:

• Playing games at the park at dusk

• I through some dress ups, knee high socks and accessories into a suit case earlier in the week and then invented a game to play with them last minute.  Right as we were leaving the house I put in a box of old make-up, too. This proved to be an awesome move as the girls spontaneously wrote their names on their foreheads in old neon purple lipstick.   I was CRACKING up!

• I threw the scavenger hunt clues together 30 minutes before the guests were supposed to arrive.  Before that, I couldn't think of anything to write!  I'm like my dad.  To quote:  "I get my inspiration last minute." 
• Having to basically tell the girls we were going to the mall to get their ears pierced since they hadn't pieced all the clues together.  And I thought it would be too easy.  After they'd found all the clues they had to unscramble three letters (R A E) and then the last clue was a series of four pictures:  donut holes, a hole in the ground, bullet holes and the cast from the movie Holes.  I thought Ear Holes would be really obvious, but apparently not.  "We're going to the mall!  To get your ears pierced" I practically bellowed it in excitement.  
• Listening to Luna and StarGirl's playlist in the car on the way there.  They'd put the playlist together that afternoon as a gift for their girlfriends.  Some included songs were:  Domo Arrigato Mr. Roboto,  La Roux's Bulletproof and Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me.  Very impressive  variety.
• I let each of the girls pick out a little something as their "party favor" from Claire's (Icing proved to be out of my price range for that).   This caused some minor elation and much decision making troubles.
• Luna decided she was ready for her ears to be pierced. StarGirl said she wanted to think about it.
• Afterwards it was cake, ice cream and presents at our house with a round of the Name Game and Jumping on the Tramp.  
• The best part was I never felt like it was outta control or wasn't working well.  Everything went so well I wanted to be 13 again, too.  But just for about an hour and then I was happy to be grown up me again.

• (to quote from one of their friends birthday party review, "It was the best party ever, like seriously, was it not perfect?"  That pretty much made my week to overhear that one!)