anna's bday bash

I can't believe it!
My little Anna-Banana has turned 5!
In just a short few months, she's going to be a Kindergartner!!

Usually, for birthdays, we get together with family and cousins to have a boisterous dinner accompanied by dessert. Which, when you consider how many cousins they have, is generally sufficient for them.
However, this year for our Anna, I decided to break from the normal fare, and give her a big party.
With cousins AND friends.

At Gymboree.

Anna takes 2 classes here a week in lieu of preschool...doing art, music, alphabet learning, and just plain playing around.
She loves it here!
So, for her birthday party, we rented out the place for an hour and half or so...and let all the kids run amok in the indoor playpen.
Now, there's wood toys everywhere...but since most surfaces are padded, it's generally good for all ages. You'd think Anna's a bit old for the play area, but she absolutely loves it here.
As does Kela and Jolee who gets to play here from time to time as well.

Anyway, there's lots of stuff to do, like...

See-Sawing with a buddy on a little boat...

...and climbing a top one of the many corrugated structures....



...not to mention plenty of places to play "Hide-n-go-seek"

(Although here, considering how many "seekers" there are...I wonder who's actually doing the "hiding" ...?)

And then, after the "running amok" phase of the party came to a close, it was time for bubbles.
Jolee LOVES Bubbles.
I'm not joking.
L-O-V-E-S them.

Have you ever blown Gymboree bubbles?

Let me just say, all bubbles are NOT created equal.
Real high-quality bubbles here....
Go check 'em out.

Bucket O' Friends!

After play time was some lunch.
Pizza, of course.

And did I mention I made Rainbow cupcakes?
Yup.
Found the idea here.
Didn't follow the directions precisely (hence the not-so-uniform layering...) but I think it still turned out funky and neat-o!
Seriously took FOREVER, but well worth the work.
(...in my humble opinion...)

Jolee...right before licking the frosting off the cupcake.
And then throwing the cupcake away.
Can't say I blame her, since it was home-made buttercream frosting!

---always ONE clown in the bunch, eh?


Wishing my 5 year old a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Oh, and these are the "thank you" notes I attached to her party favors.
Got this idea from a friend's blog.
She did them for her daughter's Valentine's Day cards...and I was itching for an excuse to borrow the idea.

Happy Birthday, Anna Banana!