Pumped Up

"This was the best birthday ever!"  That simple statement reminded me why I spend an inordinate amount of time planning every last detail of parties.  When Alexa said exclaimed that as we drove home from Pump-It-Up this afternoon, it made every trip to Target (& Party City, Michaels, WalMart and Dollar Tree), every minute I spent assembling favors and every moment fretting over the most menial details (like a pizza order) worth it.

Alexa's 5th birthday party was a smashing success!  The weather was pretty miserable today - by Arizona standards - so it made Pump-It-Up the perfect venue for the kids to burn off some energy on a rainy day.  Alexa was giddy with excitement as each of her guests arrived, thrilled that so many of her friends (and cousin Luke) were there to celebrate with her.  All of the kids seemed to enjoy themselves...I don't think you can go wrong when inflatables are involved.  The two hours seemed to fly by!  Much to my delight (and relief!), the kids seemed to enjoy their goody bags - Doc McStuffins for the girls and Spiderman for the boys - that had been the bane of my existence for the past few weeks.  I cannot tell you how many times Damon reminded me, "Remember your audience..."  It truly was a fun party, and I had a great time watching the kids play and interacting with the parents.

Tonight Alexa was exhausted, not a big surprise since she woke up every 30 minutes after 5am to ask if it was morning yet, and she snuggled against me as I was tucking her into bed.  "I'm very grateful for everything you did for my birthday, Mommy."  That was all I needed to hear - - especially when her next sentence broached what I will plan for her birthday next year.  

Oy!  I have 365+ days to figure that one out....besides, I will have a 1st birthday to plan first :)

Some of today's party-goers.

Doc McHovey
(outfit courtesy of her friend Peyton :)