The Last post about the party (I promise)

For family/friends and the bored: here's a who's who/visual guest list from the party, just for posterity's sake. It's mainly the people *not* pictured in the prior posts.  BTW, I've given up on the red eye for tonight. Deal people ;)

Grandpa and Grandma K

Dean and Jen, family friends

My niece and Smiley

Man he loves that girl! He latches right onto her in the pool too.

YaYa's Godfather and my best friend

Our friend Chris

My cousin, LuLu's Godmother

Psychfun commented that she loved Lump's shirt (thanks!). Lisa picked out the outfit the day before specifically to avoid showing dirt while she crawled, ate, etc.

My other (Milwaukee based) niece

Here's two Smiley pics. What a class act. Who's raising that kid with such bad manners?

Also in attendance: Aunt's Mabel and Royette, Dean and Jen's kids, Brian and DeLaura and their kids, and the usual mess of Slapinions and Grandma J and Grandpa J.

Lump's 1st Birthday Party - Part Two

Ok, where we we? Oh yeah. Up next on the agenda was the pinata. We went in order from youngest to oldest.

Oddly enough the broken pinata became a focal point for the kids the rest of the day. The severed head was used as a hat, a candy holder, and misc. other uses, while a teddy bear was shoved inside the body with only its head peeping out, making it look like the pinata had a shrunken head. Kids are weird man.

Then on to the cake and the singing. It was a great ice cream cake.

 

Then onto an old family (Polish?) tradition. In front of the one year old you place a rosary, a dollar coin, a shot glass, and something I'm forgetting (I'll have to go back and read Smiley's 1st birthday post). Whatever order they grab the items is the order of priority each will play in their life.

If I'm not mistaken she chose the money, then the booze, then the rosary.

Then it was time for the presents!

We were responsible for getting Lump the Fisher Price Noah's Ark set you see above, which she adores.

Anyhow, great party in the end. I really did have fun, and I hope the guests did too. Considering the last person left at 5:30pm, I'd say the answer was 'yes'.

Happy Birthday Lump!

Lump's 1st Birthday Party - Part One

The fun started on Sunday at 1pm, although most people showed up fashionably late.

Sorry about that red eye; I tried to correct it online. Anyway, the next picture of Lump may just be my favorite ever. I think for the first time I can see what the adult Lump might look like.

Then Lisa conducted some face painting and body art for the kids.

Then me and a couple friends went to go pick up the food. While we were gone Lisa used a sheet ala those parachutes you use in gym class. Each kid put their teddy bear on the sheet and grabbed some of the perimeter, then bounced the bears in the air. No lie, I'm told that was the hit activity of the day. Go figure.

Then: Meal Time and I promptly (and temporarilly) broke my diet. It was the first time we've had Pizza Hut's pasta, but it is as good or better than advertised. Yum.

"You're not going to put that picture on your blog are you?" DeLaura asked. Hee hee.

Then it was on to teddy-bear musical chairs. This did not go smoothly. Smiley could not grasp the rules and bawled several times, some of the younger kids were hesitant, and YaYa acted up. ("Knock off the drama! That's what I have LuLu for," I told her.)

Still for the adults it was good for a laugh and the kids had a good time.

Oh, btw my nephew Jonah was the DJ for the game. It is a true rarity to see him at family events nowadays and I was surprised and thankful enough to call and tell him those very things later that night. Cut your hair boy!

This is the final two: my niece and ond of YaYa's friends. I don't know who won, I think I was busy regulating one of my kids at the time of the decision :)

There's more party stuff to come, but this seems as good a time to divide the posts as any. See you soon.