Caleb's Monster Mash

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to plan, prepare, and throw a birthday for 10 five-year-olds in less than 24 hours.  

OK, yes, I did impose this "Party Impossible" on myself, but I wasn't procrastinating, just trying, and not succeeding, to manage my time.  You see, I had spent the last few weeks planning and preparing the stake youth Halloween activity, the Frighteningly Freaky Food & Flick on Saturday night.  It was A LOT of work!  Click here to see my post on our YW blog about this awesome yet gory party.  I think you'll get a kick out of the menu.

Anyway, as soon as the party was over late Saturday night, I turned my attention to my next big project - halloween costumes, as I had none, except mine, figured out yet, and our ward halloween party was Monday night.  So I spent the next few days coming up with 6 costumes from what we had on hand.  

So it was late Monday night, after the ward party, that I even started making plans for this monster party set for Tuesday afternoon!  Why do I do these things to myself?  So I planned it all Monday night, went shopping early Tuesday morning, then came home and prepared, and welcomed our guests at 4pm.  Here's how it all turned out.

The only thing done ahead of time, of course, were the invitations.  My friend Diana gave me the idea, and that is where I picked the theme Monster Mash.  The invitations were super easy using my SU Big Shot and some punches.  I thought they turned out very cute.

I kept decorations simple - green and purple crepe paper and balloons.  I made these darling monsters out of hanging paper lanterns.  They were very cute.

Eye like this guy.  He looks like Mike.

Instead of a cake, we had creepcakes.  Mom was good enough to bake them for me, then Shari helped me make monster faces using a variety of candies from WinCo's bulk candy.  I love the one on the bottom right with lust a big toothy grin, or the one next to it with his tongue sticking out.

More creepcakes.  Some with one eye, two, three, and even four eyes.  They were all so cute!

When the guests first arrived they got to decorate their green monster boxes with pompoms, foamies, glitter glue, etc, and googly eyes of course.  Having them make their own boxes was a great idea, because I didn't have time to come up with darling goody bags, and I already had the green gable boxes that I found at a yard sale.  Ta Da. Done.  And they had something to put their prizes, goodies, and pinata candy in.  Besides, Caleb's favorite thing to do in the whole world is craft.  In fact, the craft supplies are still on the table and he has made half a dozen monsters since the party.

After the craft, all the little monsters were out on the trampoline for the Monster Balloon Mash.  Every balloon had one of those little capsules with a monster-shaped sponge inside.  We turned on the song "Monster Mash" and the kids had to stomp on the balloons and pop them to get the little capsules.  It was a great time, but very very loud!

Then we played a different version of a mummy wrap game.  There were two teams, each with their own roll of TP that I had re-rolled putting a bunch of monster magnets in at intervals.  The kids had to unroll the TP on their own arm or leg until they found a monster, then rip it off and pass it to their team mate to unroll, until they found a monster, etc. until all the monsters were found.  It took a bit more coordination than these 5-year-olds had, but they worked together, and had fun doing it.

A totally cute kid with a totally cute monster magnet.  OK, let me just say right now, that Target saved me!  I ran into Super Target first thing Monday morning, and was greeted at the dollar spot with a TON of darling monster stuff: monster coloring books, monster sticker books, monster magnets, monster foamie stickers, monster pencils, monster capsules, monster magnets, monster puzzles, monster bouncy balls - all totally darling and PERFECT for this age and this party!  And perfect for prizes, goodies bags, and games like the ones above.  The Lord was really on my side with this one!!!  And guess  what?  When I went to check out, everything was HALF PRICE!  It all rang up as 50 cents each.  I was so happy!

Oh, and speaking of working out great, did you notice the mylar balloon on the first pic of this post?  I was for a fifth birthday, had monsters on it, and was green and purple.  How perfect is that?

The next game was pin the eyeball on the monster.  I just cut out a quick monster from poster board and punched out some big eyeballs.  The game was a hit!

And our many-eyed monster was so cute when the game was done!  The kids were cracking up about the monster eating a few of his own eyeballs.

Then we played another fun game that I got no pics of.  There were a bunch of cute monster foamie stickers in a bowl.  Some had "trick" written on the back and some said "treat."  Each child picked one out of the bowl.  If it said "treat" they got a candy, and if it said "trick" they had to do something like walk like Frankenstein, or do a sill Halloween dance.  It was funny.

Another game.  The kids had to stick their hands into these bags to feel monster parts, and guess what they really were.  I kept it pretty mild for 5-year-olds.  Eyes - globe grapes, hair - corn silk, nails - sliced almonds, fingers- carrots, ears - dried apricots.  The kids got a kick out of it, but a few girls refused to touch anything sight unseen.

Then, after washing our hands, it was Monster Pizza making time.  The kids each got their own little pizza round ($1.99 for 5 at WinCo) and they had to make their own monster face with the toppings.  Another great idea.  They did the work, got to get creative, and we even had prizes for the winners.
Caleb made a 3 eyed monster with mushroom ears and a cheese stick mouth.

Summer's pizza had broccoli hair and sprinkles of cheese fur.

Nate made some kind of mummy pizza with olive eyes, pepper lips, and olive teeth.

While the pizzas baked we had an eyeball spoon race.  

Lukie was having a tough time getting his eyeball into his spoon with a handful string cheese and pepperoni.  He wasn't letting go.

Caleb upped the ante by putting his spoon in his mouth.

Soon everyone was following suit, and eyeballs were dropping everywhere.

Then the call came, "Pizza is ready!"  Mummy dogs too.

See all the fun monster faces!  The one in the middle bottom was Walker's.  It was sauce with one cheese stick.  He had started eating it before we popped it in the oven.  What a funny kid.  I think he should have won for scariest pizza.

Morgan takes a bite out of her monster.

Lukie goes for the appetizer - gummy body parts on ritz crackers, of course.

The boys were amazed by the monster claw green slime punch.

And then, of course, came the pinata.  Again, Target came through with funny monster.

I love how the older boys hung out above the pinata as the little guys swung away.  This is the first time that the four older boys didn't participate as guests in a party.  They were so helpful to me and I really appreciate them.  Of course Dennis and my sister, Lisa, were huge helps too!  Thanks guys!

Candy, candy, everywhere candy!  That could be the theme of this whole week, I think.

Finally came the presents.  Caleb is very excited about arts and craft supplies!

So I think the party turned out great considering my limited time and resources.  I don't know if it lived up to my usual reputation as a party thrower, but kids this age are very forgiving, thankfully.  And it helps that I have thrown a lot of parties by now, and am becoming quite an expert I guess.

Happy Birthday Cabes!  From that first moment I held you in my arms I was smitten, and I've been smitten by your big brown eyes ever since!  You are a remarkable boy.  Very artistic, very persistent, and always thinking.  I love watching how your mind works and listening to you pontificate about the world.  You have been looking forward to turning 5 since before you were 4, and I hope it is everything you dreamed it would be.  You always said "When I'm five I can ..." do this and do that.  Well, now your 5, and there is nothing holding you back.  Your 5.  The world is your oyster!  Have to it.

Just remember, your monster momma loves you, Caleb!