We started with a big gift box from Macy's. I wanted a cardboard box that was strong enough to hold up to all the newspaper and goop, but that would break apart under the swing of a 6 year old. I finally decided on this box. I took some paper cups that we have and cut the tops off them at about 1.5" from the top. These were the top pegs on the box. S and I had a blast over the course of 3 days tearing newspaper, making the goop from flour and water, and paper mache-ing the box. I think we ended up with 4 layers of newspaper.
 After the first 2 layers to give it strength, we cut holes in the back of the box and pushed in the bottom of the cups (about 2 inches worth). This provided the holes in the back of the lego. It ended up looking really neat.
 We'd do a layer during quiet time and let it dry overnight. This is a great project to do with a kid, because the less neat and straight the newspaper, the better. The box was pretty big, and several of the days S got tired and just watched me finish it.

Oh, and I cut two small holes in one corner and ran a rope through it, then paper-mached over the holes. This allowed me a way to hang it for painting and eventually the beating. On a nice day in January (I know! a nice day!) we took it outside and painted it red. The kids loved helping with this, too.

We hung it from the tree to dry, and I came out later to add a few more coats of red paint. It looked really great when we were done.

 Then came S's favorite part: stuffing the pinata! I bought 6 bags of candy from the dollar store along with some red and blue tinsel/raffia. The kind you put into Easter Baskets or gift bags. This helped distribute the candy so it all didn't just clump in the bottom, and it also looked cool when the kids finally broke it open. It's also still all over my lawn under the snow.


 We cut a small hole in one of the topside corner to stuff the pinata, then covered the hole with red duct tape.

PARTY STUFF:
 The dollar store was definitely the place to go for party favors and decorations. I went to Zurchers, Party City, Wal-Mart, and Hobby Lobby looking for Lego decorations or plates or anything, but no one had any. Instead of ordering a bunch of expensive and toddler-oriented decorations online, I decided to just go with primary colors and Lego-inspired things.

I got everything you see here for about $25. This was everything for the whole party. I already had all the pinata stuff and I didn't need anything special for the cake, just some food coloring paste. So, I guess the whole party cost less than $30, which totally beat the $100+ they wanted for a party at Kangaroo Zoo or Chuck E Cheese's.
I made the guest gift bags from some dollar store bags and circles cut from construction paper of the same color. They ended up so cute. I filled them with punching balloons, a pencil, some lego kits, silly straw, slinky, play-dough and a few other things I've forgotten. S had fun decided which friend would like which color the best and filling the bags. 
 Each kid also got a Legoman Crayon that I bought online from Etsy.com. They were a couple of bucks for 5, so I got two sets. They were so cute!
 This was our prize basket for winning one of the several games we played. The kids got to choose their favorite prize. They weren't lego themed because S invited 3 girls and 2 boys, and the girls weren't super into legos like the boys were. They wanted to come to the party, but I wanted to offer them something that interested them more.

DECORATIONS:
 Monday afternoon (the party was 3-4:30 pm) we decorated the kitchen. Each kid got a silly straw, a party blower, and a cool little balloon in a package that you smacked with your fist to mix the chemicals that blew up the balloon. I found them at the dollar store and the kids loved them.

Instead of buying expensive Lego City plates and napkins I just decided to go with primary colors: purple tablecloth, blue cups, yellow plates, green napkins, red utensils and multi-colored straws, all from my friendly neighborhood dollar store. S made Legoman placecards for each kid. It was great practice for him to have to write each of his friends' name on a card.


Our centerpiece was a set of Legos that S got while D and I were on our trip. It's from Lego Indiana Jones and took him quite awhile and some adult help to put together. But it's so cute and the kids loved looking at all the different parts while they waited for the cake to come over.
 We also set a little table for A and her friend, who was the younger sister of S's friend. They moved away at Christmas and my kids miss them something fierce, but they were willing to drive 45 minutes back up here for S's party, so we were thrilled that both kids could come and the mom (one of my good friends) could stay and help out. We sure miss this family!!



 Decorations galore was part of this party. We had balloons, streamers, banners, stars. S thought the house looked so magical, that we left everything up for almost 2 weeks until we couldn't stand it anymore. We had almost as much fun taking it down as we did putting it up.

 This was a curtain of streamers the kids had to push through after they came in the front door

We decorated the downstairs den as well. Seriously, the house looked like a fun zone. Which it was.
 This was our shrine to S. Also the lego guessing game. Can you believe there were over 130 legos in that jar?
The gift bags again. The kids were really excited about them and put all their pinata candy into them, as well.

ACTIVITIES:

 To start out with we had Lego heads (that I cut out of scrapbooking paper) on which they each made their own Legoman face. Under the heads is a Lego Coloring Book that I made at Kinkos by downloading different images from online. Just google Lego coloring page and you get lots of results, some even from Lego.com itself. They had some dot-to-dots and maze games that were Lego themed.

 The kids gathered around the table to make their lego faces and color their coloring books while they waited for the other guests to arrive.
 Even little sister got into the act with her friend. They each made their own Lego faces. We used these faces for Pin-The-Face-On-The-Legoman, after which we attached them to masks from the dollar store. The kids got to wear their Legoman mask home.
 Here are some of the lego faces that S and his friends made.



 After everyone arrived we played Don't Eat Legoman. It's a fun game where one person leaves the room while everyone else decides which picture will be Legoman for that round. We place marshmallows or after-dinner mints on each of the 9 squares and then invite the person to come back into the room. They try to eat each marshmallow off the board without eating the designated Legoman. When the person tries to eat the marshmallow covering Legoman the rest of the kids yell "Don't Eat Legoman!!!". It's a sweet and simple game and the kids loved playing it.

 Then we headed upstairs with our Lego heads to play Pin the Head on the Legoman. Everyone had a turn. Some were more successful than others.

 But everyone had a great time.



 Even little A got into the swing of things. This is one game where height is definitely an advantage.

FOOD:

 Then it was time for the cake! S wanted chocolate Lego cake, and this is what I came up with. It's the Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Cake, Wilton buttercreme frosting, some super big campfire marshmallows, and little lego candies that I found at the Macey's bulk candy bins.
 The kids loved it, especially S. The kids had cake and cheeseballs. Since we were after lunch but before dinner I didn't want to fill them up too much.

 The little girls enjoyed their table by themselves.
 While the big kids talked, giggled, sang and ate at the big table.




Here is the aftermath. As soon as they got bored with the food we announced it was time to go outside and whack the pinata. I've never seen little people get shoes and coats on so fast. What is it about smacking a candy-filled box with a big stick?

PINATA BREAKING:


Eventually the pinata was broken and we had just a few minutes to open presents before the moms came to pick up their kids. I'd definitely plan for 2 hours instead of 1.5 hours next time. There were a few games we didn't get to play, so I let the kids pick out a prize anyway to take home. They took their Legoman mask, their coloring book, their pinata candy, their party blowers, balloons, and silly straws, and their gift bags of goodies. Oh, and I had a small lego kit of a truck or an airplane that I found online for each of them. That was another $20, so I guess that raises my party total to $50. Still totally worth it!

THE END:


S is still saying what a great party it was and so do the kids when I see them every Thursday in S's class.

Here's a gratuitous shot of me as taken by our Party Photographer, D. You have him to thank for all the pictures in today's post. I was running around trying to make sure everything went smoothly, so I'm grateful to him for taking the afternoon off work to take pictures.




Happy Birthday, my big 6 year old! How the time does fly. It was a great party and thee was the consummate host: talking with everyone, playing with everyone, including girls as well as boys. It was a party we'll never forget. I'm so proud of thee and what a great kid thee is.

This is our boat. It had 18 floors, 2 formal dining rooms, a workout room, a spa, an outdoor movie theater, 5 hot tubs, 4 pools, lots of little out of the way lounges and food bars and 3,500 passengers. That top section of windows is the workout room, complete with like 50 machines, as well as classes for yoga, spinning, etc. It was a pretty way to work out, which I managed to do only once. Hey, I was on vacation, ok?

You could sit in either of the hot tubs or the pool on the ground floor, or there were three levels of lounge chairs to sit in to watch the movies. Most of them were movies that came out in the last 6 months. A few kids shows, but at night they covered the lounge chairs with blankets and had Movies Under the Stars. It was a beautiful way to watch a movie. Just grab a plate of fries or popcorn, a drink, a hotdog or chicken sandwich and a chair and you were set!

The formal dining rooms were beautiful. We did "anytime dining", which was just like dining in a land restaurant. You showed up whenever you wanted and were seated. Sometimes we had to wait a little while for a table, but it was never very long. We could have opted for "assigned dining" where we ate dinner at the same time every night at big tables with the same people every time. This was the "anytime dining" room. You had a server and his helper. Each server had about 10 tables, and service was fast and good. We ordered appetizers, salads, main courses and dessert with abandon. The food was good and it was fun to try what other people got as well. Some of the funnest restaurant experiences I've had in a long time.

Just a few shots of the ship. There was so much room. It was like going on vacation in a skyscraper knocked on its side. This is the pool area and a few of the bars/food stands. You could get ice cream and hotdogs and french fries and pizza out on the deck anytime. They were good, too.

Where the exterior of the ship was all pools and junk food, the interior was all gilded staircases and chandeliers. It felt like being in a 5 star hotel that traveled from one place to another. There was always a quiet place to go. One night we went to see a singin' and dancin' show. Another night we saw a fairly funny comedian. There was a hypnotist act we didn't get to and plenty of other stuff we didn't even know was going on. The customer service was excellent, although they had employees from all over the world, so sometimes the accents were a stumbling block.

The rooms really aren't that small. Ours had a balcony, which added immensely to the space and feeling of openness. We had two twin beds, pushed together to make a queen/king. It was more than enough room for us.

The bathroom was a little small, but I admired their efficiency. The shower was tiny and I often wondered how some of the plus-sized cruisers managed in there. But not that often. Because eew.

The closet space was also ample. It doesn't quite look like it here, but there were more than enough hangers and we hung up most everything we'd brought. The room steward came in twice a day with fresh towels, soaps, and bed-making services. I didn't make a bed all week!

There was a TV which we hardly turned on. Strange if you know D. He loves TV. We just weren't in our room enough to watch. In the evenings after a leisurely dinner from 7:30-9 pm we usually grabbed our decks of cards, Uno, etc. and found a lounge to play in until we crashed.

The only outlet in the room was here, over the desk. Hair dryers, curling irons, computers, cell phone chargers, all had to be plugged in here. I'd definitely bring a power strip next time. There was an in-room phone which came in really handy when we wanted to make sure everyone was ready to meet, or to phone that one person who kept sleeping in.

Truly a sight to behold. There were 4 buffet areas on the ship, all in the same area. They served food 24 hours/day. They simply rotated areas every few hours and cleaned up the leftovers, while a new area served time-appropriate food. The food wasn't spectacular, but most of it was edible and there was plenty of it.

I mostly took pictures of the desserts. The appetizers, salads, and main courses were also fabulous (except for Italian Night). These are "floating islands" a delicious meringue in a lemon pudding that was excellent.

This in the Princess Cruise Line signature dish: The Love Boat. After having this the first night I ordered one every night thereafter. We usually each ordered at least two desserts and shared them around the table. But I wouldn't share this one.

An appetizer. Kiwi, grapefruit, mint and raspberry compote. Simple, yes, but delicious. And wasn't that plating gorgeous?

Sorry for the cell phone picture. The first morning on the ship (Sunday) I couldn't sleep, so got up by myself and went to breakfast in the restaurant. They sat me by the window and I had blueberry pancakes, bacon, hashed browns, and papaya. The view was gorgeous, and the food divine. I sent this picture home to my little ones so they could see what I was doing.

Five of the days we were at port, but two of the days we were at sea all day. To make those days special they had "formal night" dinners. This was the first one. We got all dressed up, took formal portraits (this isn't one of them), met the captain and felt really fancy. What a good lookin' bunch of people!

These were some of the formal pictures we took.

D being himself again. Couldn't take a serious picture.

We ended up buying four pictures. At $22 each it was expensive, but I weighted that against my chances of ever getting D into a studio for a photo shoot and I decided it was worth it. We haven't had formal pictures taken since our wedding 7 years ago.

Monday: our first port was Grand Cayman. We didn't have any excursions planned here, but we wandered around the beautiful beaches for a few hours before having lunch at a great bar&grill. They served a fabulous conch (like the shell) salad. It was spicy, but delicious. I think I drank my weight in water trying to finish my whole salad. My first time having conch. It was smooth. Flavorful, but not fishy. Just a little chewy like calamari. And delicious.

Tuesday: our next port was Roatan, Honduras. This was, by far, our best port. We planned way ahead of time for this one. We did a zipline in the morning and then some of us went Scuba Diving in the afternoon. I have lots of pictures for today, so bear with me.

 The zipline company (Pirates of the Caribbean Canopy Tours) picked us up from near the dock. We had to walk about 1/2 a mile because Honduras and Carnival Cruise Lines won't let the locals get near the dock. We had to pass through a gate with armed guards and then walk down a hill to where the local companies, and not the cruise sponsored companies, were allowed to stand. It was a bit of a hike and we were grateful for the air conditioned van to take us to the Zipline.

The weather all week was actually quite nice. It never got above about 85 and we only hit one big storm. It had the boat rocking and made us a little unsteady, but it was kind of fun. Like being in a funhouse where the floors keep shifting under your feet.

This was my first time in a truly foreign country, so I was surprised to see the armed military and police force walking around with big guns. Strangely it didn't make me feel safer to see the big guns. I guess I've read one too many Tom Clancy novels.

We finally got to the canopy tour after 20 minutes of driving. Can you see how excited we are??

The guides helped us get suited up with only minor discomfort.

Then we hopped in a Jeep and drove to the top of a mountain where our canopy tour awaited. There were 9 "platforms" on this tour. Others I researched only had 2-3 that you do several times, so we definitely got the best tour. This first line was the longest one at 1,800 feet. Can you see the arrow at the top? That little patch of dirt is what we're aiming for. You get a running start off the wooden platform that you can see below and leap into the air. There's a tour guide who goes in front of you and one who waits until everyone has gone. Ours were funny and patient. I think it'd be a great job! Having never been in Boy Scouts, I was always jealous that they got to do ropes courses and climbing, so this was a treat for me.

At first we were a little nervous and kept in tight balls. Unfortunately, that ball shape isn't very aerodynamic, so some of us didn't make it all the way to the next platform and had to be rescued by our guide and a rope. When we asked our guides how we should position ourselves to ensure a proper landing, they told us to lean way back, legs out straight like an arrow. And to get a good running start before pushing off the platform. D and I did this and were the only ones to make it to the next platform. Go Team Us!!!

After awhile, though, we just wanted to have fun

Sometimes a little too much fun!

But mostly we just had a really good time.

As opposed to this guy from a different group. He got stuck halfway through that first big zipline. His guide had to clip on the line and pull himself out hand over hand to save this poor guy. Running start, people, running start!

D, did you  have a good time? This was everyone's favorite excursion, and rightly so. It was too much fun!

After ziplining we drove down to the reef and went scuba diving. It was my first ocean scuba dive and I was really nervous, so I didn't take any pictures. On the way to the dive shop, however, I was snapping some shots of the terrain and ocean beyond it. When I looked at them later I saw this donkey who managed to photo-bomb my picture. Doesn't he look like he's wearing a top hat? The Elusive Honduran Formal Donkey Photobomb. Priceless.

We didn't have time to hit the beaches in Roatan, but this is what they looked like. Pretty beautiful. We spent our time under that water seeing all kinds of tropical fish and coral. We even went through a cave system that made me feel a little claustrophobic. I'd previously only dove in mountain lakes, so the clear water and colorful wildlife were pretty amazing!

Wednesday: port of Cozumel, Mexico. Cozumel has some of the most beautiful diving in the region. People come from all over to dive here. It was a little stormy, as you can see from the picture, but we managed to get two dives in the morning before they closed the port and ordered all the dive boats into the harbor. Note to self: when traveling at 7,500 knots in the sideways rain, bring a poncho or heated blanket, or fireplace. We were freezing after this dive and went back to the boat to shower and change. Diving two days in a row left us feeling pretty wiped out, so we had (free!) lunch, naps, and a nice quiet afternoon, complete with a little souvenir shopping for those we'd left behind . I had wanted to go horseback riding to see some ruins, but with the rain and the nitrogen buildup in my body I wasn't sure I wouldn't collapse on the back of a wet, smelly horse. A little reading and relaxing completed this beautiful day.

Thursday we were at sea, again. Another relaxing day of sleeping in, reading, bingo, food, food, and more food. We sailed into a big storm at this point, so we spent most of this day inside watching the big waves crash against the ship. We were on the Crown Princess, which has 18 floors, so we weren't worried about any kind of capsizing or foundering. It was fun to wander around the ship, staggering like a drunken sailor. The pitch and roll did make the formal high-heeled dinner a little more challenging. Still, it was nice to be pampered, even in a rolling ship. We didn't wash a dish, beat an egg, or make a bed all week. We did manage to wash some clothes on Thursday, but we would have probably made it fine without. It was just getting stinky in our room.

Here's a nice shot of D's dad. He looks totally relaxed, no? he's turned the cover of the book he's reading upside down and backwards so no one can tell. I won't give away his "secret cruise book" but let's just say that he and a lot of teenage girls managed to get through this book in just a few days. And now I want to buy him the movie. :)

Friday we were at Princess Cays, an island in the Bahamas that is just for Princess cruises. They had a lovely beach, a small snorkeling area, and a horrible buffet lunch. It was a little chilly on Friday, so I was the only one to go in the water. I figured, why bother going to the Bahamas if you're not going to snorkel? I can power through a little chilly water if it means getting the most of the vacation. And I did. I also went on a long walk along the beach while D slept and everyone else read a book or relaxed. I was too keyed up to relax, so exploring was a great outlet.

This was sunset on our last night, Friday night. Can you see how relaxed I am? No make-up, pony-tailed hair, comfy clothes, hanging out on the balcony. I'm so mellow right now that nothing could touch me.

And here's sunrise our last day on the boat, Saturday morning. We're about to disembark and head through customs on our way to the airport where I had a 15 hour day of travel ahead of me. But for now I got up early and enjoyed the sunrise and a few moments of quiet before the craziness began. Craziness that I plan to blog about in the next few days.

A huge thank you to those who made this trip possible, by funding it, by participating in it, and by holding down the fort while we were gone. The cruise was fabulous, fantastic, and lots of other great adjectives that I can't come up with right now. I'd go on another one in a heartbeat! Anyone offering?