Food came to about 45$, burgers dogs, plates and cups, cheese, grapes, carrots, and juice. (yes first time ever we bought paper plates)

"Treasure' came to about $10, coins, necklaces, balloons, and metallic eggs we had with stickers in them.

Craft came to zero, construction paper we already had, a pattern and directions from here and paper rolls from a friend, plus fasteners that we already had.

Decorations were $2, crepe paper streamers per Gmc's request and signs we made ourselves.

And no dragon eggs , we went to three stores yesterday looking for them, not a single dragon to be found, not stickers, pencils, plastic toys, nothing. (or rather nothing cheap enough to buy a dozen or so of)

cake of course cost supplies to make, but I like baking . Plus some odd condiments that we already have for the burgers and dogs.

so total cost

Well he asked for a construction cake, but he is also asking for balloon expiraments, because balloons are a birthday thing, every birthday we get out balloons and a hand pump and the kids go to town.

I found one where you take a balloon and blow it up (touch a match to it) and one where you put some water in it, the match wont burst it.

and now Monkey mommas rocket will be added to the list. I think I would like a couple more.

Our birthday things are really family events, no fancy games or anything, but a few balloon things before I cook is cool.

Well I found the best 'games' for a birthday party-science! GMC got a book on gravity and wanted to do some 'tests' so we did, water that won't pour (and later goes up into the bottle) and balloons that wobble. (not to mention pop, twist and wiggle!)

I also discovered as much as I dreaded it, just how much fun making (decorating) a dinosaur cake could be, messy, not perfect, but loads of fun! We did one big one and I also had a bread pan that we let GMC decorate. (the picture is his version)

We have officially invited people for GMCs birthday!

I cut out a dino scene, then used it to make a pattern for him to vut. JC made some snis too.

Then we glued it down, scanned it in to the computer, and added some important information.

After it was all done and ready DH complains about the lack of dinosaur, so eggs, and trees are easy, the dinosaur wasn't.

In comes a large T-Rex toy for his photo shoot. A few minutes later we fudge up a cropped dino and speech bubble. voila. fancy dino on the invite.


JCs version


the invite minus the photo details.


The dinosaur

Hopefully email invitations are good enough, I can't imagine cutting that many scenes, or printing the color copy!

Some days when you have three snotty kids,a cough of your own, and a house in need of major cleanup, you just want some mindless entertainment.

In comes PBS, and the internet!

Terrible waste of electricity I am sure...

On a positive note, we are 'making' clay fossils for DSs birthdya party, and possible doing some early to 'bury' for them to dig up. I have seen some kits, but we are prolly just going for playdough imprints that we then 'shellac' or something.

Now all I have to do is make invitations (fast) and send them out, oh plus decide on food...

party ideas

more ideas

Invitations:
Design a Dinosaur shaped invitation or a volcano shaped invitation. Outside: Come Walk with the Dinosaurs! Inside: Please join our Dino Dig! Excavation Site: (address) Date: Time: RSVP to the Site boss!

* Make your own Volcano:
Make a mound of sand around a Dixie cup. Put in some baking soda. Pour in vinegar to watch it gurgle up. Add food coloring to vinegar before hand if you want it colored. I think a playdoung mound would be 'takehomable'

lava cake

nice wording for invite

My son has requested a dinosaur cake for his birthday, I aim to please but I am not buying a store dedorated cake, So instead we got him a lego dinosaur set, and we will put the dinosaurs on the cake, he gets the rest as his gift. I figure some green grassy areas, and some blue water maybe some form of vulcano (cupcake on top, with red icing on sides?) But now I have to work on the invitations to fit, and decorations or games.

Last year at 3 he got a 'treasure hunt' complete with buried tresure.

The year before (2yo) we played 'Blue's clues' complete with blue pawprints.

At 1yo we just did balloons and hoped he didn't have a meltdown (he didn't)

I was thining of doing an invitation with dinosaur footprints or something, prehistoric wording maybe? Not sure how to do that, but I know after my experience with antiqued paper for the treasure hunt, I am NOT doing that! I want printable paper! No way am I handwriting that many invitations again!

making fossils

Might try that, or digging them up (or both)

rex head

rex puzzle

Company! I had company for a late Christmas celebration; they brought the greatest Christmas present, dinner! Though honestly the way I feel I was happier about not having to do the work than not having to spend the money. I do have to do the clean up but they brought paper plates and plastic wear too! Which is a lot easier on the clean up. And they let enough flatware and plates for a months worth of meals! Not that I plan on using them every day, but they will come in handy when I just can’t get the dishes done.