Two for One

After years of planning Emilie's and Annelise's  birthday parties in that unpredictable "in between" season, where you don't know if you should prepare for sleet and whipping wind or 80's and 90's, the girls decided to wait it out and experience a cross your fingers, almost guaranteed backyard water party. We looked at the calendar and the two spots available were just four days apart. Despite my hesitation, I was reminded again of the benefits of throwing two bashes back to back: one trip to the grocery store, one phone call to the semi-entertainer/semi-caterer, one birthday invitation template, one afternoon filling water balloons and one party planning brainstorming session. Our criteria for success was simply that there would be no injuries and no rain. According to us, the party was a hit. And as a bonus, the girls had a blast! 

 We began the excitement with water games. "Drip, drip, drop", which is similar to "duck, duck, 

goose" except for a drip on each girls' head or a full cup of water dropped on one girl's head, initiated the girls into an afternoon of water fun. The anticipation that each girl felt while waiting for a big splash of water was punctuated with shrieks and yelps. We figured that we couldn't have a water party without the classic water balloon toss. Unlike last year's backyard party with 17 first grade boys, no fights broke out about which team won and who cheated. Thankfully, these crowds were much more refined. Our next event was the relay. Two teams raced to fill up a bucket with water balloons. The challenge: each girl was required to run, crawl, jump, ride, shoot and shimmy over, through and under a variety of objects while holding a water balloon. There was a slight disagreement on which team won. I held my breath until it was announced that it was unequivocally a tie. After all, what would I do with a backyard full of unhappy girls? There was a moment of silence, and then a chorus of "Okays" and "all rights" and a release of tension by all. Gotta love those girls!

One tradition that we left in Salt Lake two years ago was playing "heavy, heavy hang over thy poor head", giving each girl a wish and then tearing open your gift. Here, the culture is that you wait until after your party to open your gift, respectfully with your family. In an attempt to revive an old custom, each birthday girl stood under the basketball hoop and each guest recited, "heavy, heavy hang over. . .", tossed the balloon through the hoop, and onto Emilie's or Annelise's head. In turn Emilie and Annelise wished each girl that they would be in their class next year, be given a pet kitten, or some other sweet dream.

Just as the games ended, "The Entertainer" could be heard through the neighborhood, growing louder and louder as the ice cream man got closer and closer to our house. The girls raced to the front yard as the Juniper Farms ice cream truck pulled into our drive way. 

The party resumed with screams and howls as the girls slid frontwards, backwards, head first, back up or tummy up down the water slide. (The Costco water slide has been chalked up as a successful purchase over and over again.)  

Emilie and Annelise said their thank you's and good byes and presented each girl with a party

favor. It was sidewalk chalk and Sweet Tarts for the kindergartners and summer baseball hats and a stash of assorted candy for the older girls. 

                                              

Can't wait 'til next year!