Birthday party!

We decided that from here on out, we are only having friend parties on even years... family parties on odd. Xiana seemed pretty okay with it. Of course, we brought this to her on an even year. Still, I explained to her that on the odd years we'll get her a nice gift and celebrate together. This year was reminiscent of her first birthday party. The same theme... or not theme I guess. There was a bit of a pre-party. The girls had a blast playing around before all the craziness ensued.

Kolton enjoyed a low noise zone for a few minutes... the calm before the storm.
And the girls played with balloons to their little hearts' contents!
Because I am in the Young Women presidency, I asked if the young women could help at her party (the president did this first showing me that I was not fully utilizing my calling). They were so sweet to offer their help and did an amazing job painting faces, keeping things relatively calm (or not quite so ridiculously crazy) and even cleaned up afterwards which was utterly unprovoked. They are so thoughtful. The kids loved having their faces painted, and we were fortunate that there was a slow progression of guests which meant most kids got to have their faces painted multiple times without having to wait in lines. It's funny the way things work out when you have parties or events. As I lay awake the night before her party I started worrying, what am I going to do with ten 4-year-olds impatiently waiting in line to get their faces painted (this the number I assumed would not be able to fit at the other 2 activities). Suddenly, panic set in and I found myself trying to conjure up another activity... an art table? pin the feather on the turkey? I didn't know. Silly me. As usual, things did not go the way I worried they would. Instead, they were successful, seamless, and chaotic. Little did I know I did not have to micromanage every minute detail of the party. Silly me.
A full jack-o-lantern face that may or may not have taken 3 young women, multiple cleaners, and 30 minutes to remove.
There was cookie decorating. This was a great indication to me how much less time I have this year than I did the first of her life. I remember making 60 pumpkin shaped sugar cookies for her first birthday party. This year, Walmart saved the day and made the overpriced, not nearly as tasty cookies. Funny how nobody was any the wiser... and not one complaint on the taste quality. I kind of think no child knows what the sugar cookie tastes like underneath all that frosting and sprinkles.
Only about half of the sprinkles landed on the floor.
I also found these fun masks at Target and set up a craft table where everyone got to make their own mask. It was fun, easy, and a great party favor. I didn't feel like I needed to put together gift bags because everyone got to take their mask and cookie home. See, I'm getting much more efficient in Xiana's old age.
Presents are always a hard part of a party of littles. It's too much for them to patiently sit as one person opens all the gifts. So... this year Xiana asked if whomever the gift giver was could sit on the chair with her and help open the present. Genius. Every child got to sit on the chair, help open a gift, and in the background I turned on Tangled. Many kids didn't even notice presents were being opened instead of the usual craze of paper, ribbon and tape flying everywhere amidst pleas and screams to open/play/get out whatever toy has most recently been opened. This was far more successful.
Xiana took her job telling each kid in turn that they got to sit in the chair with her very seriously. More than once I heard her say, "so-and-so, you get to sit in the chair with me now." Her excitement and enthusiasm simply cannot be conveyed in a font.
Two words explain this expression: bath. paint.
Cake cake cake. The sweet young women that helped were willing to do the job for cake and ice cream alone. However, we also had a pizza/movie party for them later.
And make a wish!!! I feel like all of Xiana's wishes in her life have come true. That won't always be the case, but for now... it's beautiful.
the icing on the proverbial cake of this birthday party was the after show. Xiana got some reverence books (a marvelous gift) and she and Emma opened them pretending they were hymn books. I walked out to find them singing the song in Tangled at the top of their lungs, each holding a hymn book in their hands. Truly. Life. is. beautiful.
and Xiana made out like a bandit... we might have to fore go Christmas!