The Sleepover Party

This past month, Jillian went to a birthday party at a well-known party place for kids. It was a "deluxe" (aka pricey) birthday party and had all the bells and whistles, but our six-year old wasn't too impressed.  While Brad was driving Jillian home that day, he asked Jillian if she had fun, and she responded by saying, "I was a little disappointed (her real words!). I wish we had played more games, like the birthday parties mommy gives us."

When Brad retold me this story, it melted my heart.  It reminded me that what children appreciate most is our time and the love we pour into the things that we do for them.  Theia's birthday party given last month by her mom was a LOVED-filled birthday party and it was one of my girls absolute favorite events.

Jillian loved it so much, she wrote a book named "The Sleepover Party" during her free-time ( indoor recess, etc...) at school. It is a super sweet story and Jillian asked her teacher if she could read it to the class the following week. The next Monday, Jillian read her story, one that she had written and illustrated all by herself, to her Kindergarten class! She came home beaming that day and told me it was one of her favorite days in all her life.

Here is the story of "The Sleepover Party" in my words:

"Happy Birthday Theia":  Theia requested her mom make her a pink blanket for her birthday cake.  I love the bright pink icing!  

Faith giving big hugs to her friend Theia when we arrived at the sleepover party! 

Shortly after we arrived, it was dinner time. The kids had Capri Suns, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and clementines for their dinner (all of Theia's party pickings). The mommies had Papa John's pizza... yummy! 

Then it was time for some Zingo! Mrs. Trisha made sure that everyone won a turn (without it being too obvious).

Then we took a much needed group photo of the kids.  From left to right: Faith, Andrew (aka "Buddy"), Madeline, Theia, Jillian, Ava, Xandra, and Aliyah.

Then we sang "Happy Birthday" to the birthday girl, Theia! 

And then in celebration of Julie's birthday the next day and Trisha's birthday a couple weeks later, I brought some yummy Cheesecake Factory for the moms to share! 

Naomi and I both sang to Julie and Trisha. Then our sweet friends blew out their candles and made a wish.

Naomi with sleeping Lucy

Then it was time to go to bed.... Faith very happily laid down on her sleeping bag with her party hat on her head.

Jillian cuddled with her jaguar from her trip to the Dallas Aquarium with Mimi and PawPaw.

And Ava cuddled with her little bear.  It was a great evening but already it was time for the lights to go out and the little ones to sleep....

NOT!!! :-)

It was only 7:45 PM and the girls were just "practicing" going to sleep (at least that is how Jillian described it in her "Sleepover" book that she read to her class). 

It was GAME TIME! First, the kids were numbered off.  You can see Ava and Andrew holding one finger up for group #1 and Jillian holding up two of her fingers for group #2. 

First the kids participated in a relay race in which they had to put on slippers, a robe, and quickly lay down on a pillow! I love Ava's enthusiasm for her little brother in this photo. :-)

Faith was super excited when her big sister, Jillian tagged her for her turn at the SLEEPOVER RELAY!

Faith is my gifted child at getting dressed (she has been doing it nearly all by herself since she was  two!) and did a fantastic job of putting on her slippers and robe all by herself!

Then the kids played Musical Pillows (I like that name, after all, I just made it up, but I don't think that is the real name!)

 but the kids walked & marched in a circle around their pillows while the music played

and then they rushed to lay down on a pillow.  The kids LOVED this game.

Then the kids went to the girls bedroom to wait while the mommies hid the kids' lovies! 

I hid Andrew's doggie and he found it really quickly! I thought we were supposed to make it fairly easy...
 little did I know, some "other people" were going to hide the lovies in super hard places. :-)

In the end, all the kids had a great time discovering the hiding places

and very sweetly helped one another too.  

Then it was time for Theia to open her birthday presents. After that, all the kids watched the new Winnie-the-Pooh movie with popcorn, and then the next morning the kids enjoyed pancakes! It was a wonderful party and celebration of Theia's life with the friends that love her so much.