The Big One-Oh!

It is hard for me to believe, but Maggie's age is now in double-digits. If you had told me ten years ago that I would be where I am today, and tried to explain to me the joys and trials of parenting a child to ten years of age, I would not have believed you. Yet, here we are. On the morning of Maggie's birthday she climbed into my bed for a snuggle pretty early and we laid there for awhile marveling at her advanced age. Eventually she decided to get up and say good morning to her Daddy, Mimi and Pepaw, who were in the kitchen. As she was getting up she moaned, "I can't believe I'm the big TEN-OH! Somebody bring me a cane!" Poor baby!

I was really blessed that Mimi and Pepaw had decided to come for the party this weekend, for I was sorely behind on party preparations. Maggie had decided a few weeks ago that she wanted a cat party because of some u-paint-it kitty bobblehead party activity in a catalog. The bobbleheads were so expensive, I convinced her that we could find an alternative, but we still got the kitty plates and such. We had looked at several local stores for alternative activities, but hadn't actually purchased them. Therefore, on the day of Maggie's birthday and party, I still had a to-do list as long as several of my arms, and only the two arms God gave me. Luckily, Mimi and Pepaw were happy to lend me theirs. They took the girls to Wal-Mart and one of them took Gracie one way to get her sister a gift, while the other took Maggie to the party supply aisle and finished the party shopping.

Meanwhile back at the house I was making kitty cat cupcakes. I had found a cute kitty cat cupcake idea in a book called Hello Cupcake! at Hobby Lobby. Of course, I didn't snap it up the minute I saw it - I went back home to get my coupon. By the time I got back, the book was gone. I ended up having to go to another Hobby Lobby to get it. Lesson learned - I probably burned more gas than I saved using the coupon. Next time, just get it! The cupcakes were decorated with candy items - I went to seven stores to find the right candy, and finally gave up on black licorice laces and just used icing. I am a dedicated (read: anal) mother! Anyway, here's the resulting cupcakes:

I got to use my cupcake tower, although I couldn't fill it up entirely - the ears kept getting in the way! Still, it was cute. . .

We replaced the bobblehead activity with painting a regular (no bobble) kitty or puppy figurine. As the guests arrived, they selected their figurine and then sat down to paint.

These girls were focused!

After the figurines, each girl decorated a triangle for our next game - Pin the Party Hat on Bad Kitty!

It's our tradition, after all.

Next the girls played Cranium Cariboo. My only regret is that our sleeper sofa is so heavy, we didn't have enough room to spread out without moving it, but moving it is almost enough to give three grown men a hernia, so it stayed put. It didn't hamper the girls victory "funky dance" moves:

After that it was time for cake and ice cream. Here's Miss Maggie after being serenaded and blowing out the candles:

After that, they were off the charts on their sugar highs - while Maggie opened presents the rest of the girls carefully shredded the wrapping paper and tissue into confetti and. . .

Let loose with a wild tissue fight!

Maggie said the tissue fight was her favorite part.

After that we took one last picture, and then everyone's parents arrived to take them home.

All in all, it was a successful birthday party.

For her now-mature, sophisticated palate, Maggie chose Cici's Pizza for her birthday dinner, followed by yogurt at the Orange Tree. She said that it was a wonderful birthday, and it was. All good, no meltdowns, no drama, and not even any bickering about whether or not her sister could touch/look at/play with the new toys. Is this what double-digits brings? Life is good!

Now I wonder what the next ten years holds. . .