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| Even Death Eaters have to do their math homework. |
Not wellness related at all, but I have to share the super fun birthday party we had for Jacob last weekend. I'm not going to lie, I love (LOVE) that my son wanted to have a Harry Potter birthday party. When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published in 2007 and I found out that my co-worker had gone out at midnight to buy it and then spent the next two days devouring the book any free moment she had, well, I promptly made fun of her for reading a children's book.
She gave me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and told me to just read it already. I then proceeded to read all seven books back-to-back and it was so freaking awesome. Love it!
So Jacob went through all the appropriate boy stages: Thomas the Train, Scooby Doo, Cars, Transformers (ugh), Star Wars and then last summer I gave him my copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I like to think it was the book (and not the Harry Potter Lego Wii game) that made Jacob fall in love with all things Harry Potter. He's currently reading book five - Order of the Phoenix.
Jacob has known for a long time that he wanted to have a Harry Potter theme at his 8th birthday party (squee) and as no surprise, I waited until the last minute to plan it.
I spent some time online looking for ideas and was kicking myself when I saw cute things like stuff owl displays and homemade signs.
I took a deep breath and decided that Jacob's party would be awesome even if I didn't have hand-sewn house banners hanging on the walls. I did some additional research and decided to do a couple of special things for his party: make butterbeer and do a scavenger hunt.
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| I'm making the butterbeer while Jacob opens his presents. |
The butterbeer was easy. I found the recipe
online. The ingredients consisted of cream soda, butterscotch sundae topping and Reddi Whip. Of the 10 kids, only two of them liked it, but what's important was that it was awesome. It was butterbeer for crying out loud.
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| Butterbeer and Slytherin Cake = awesome |
Wait a second. Did you all catch that cake?
How awesome is that cake!!! My sister-in-law, Stephanie, made it. (Yes, my husband has a sister named Stephanie.)
Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself. So let's back up about three weeks, when Jacob keeps reminding me that we need to go to the party supply store and get his HP decorations. That turns into me waiting until three days before the party. I drag both kids to Party City or whatever it's called and we walk down the kid aisle - we see Star Wars and Transformers and that Justin Bieber kid and Twilight. Huh, we must have missed the Harry Potter section. Another walk back down the aisle and we still can't find it. I go up and ask the employee filling balloons where I can find their Harry Potter section and she says they don't have one. What? What?
Crap.
Jacob looks like he's going to burst into tears.
Quick mom thinking and I tell him that it's ok, we'll make our own decorations.
So I printed off HP lego figures and we spend the next night cutting them up and taping them around the kitchen. Jacob's favorite house is Slytherin (I'm not sure why, because my Jacob is a super sweetheart and Slytherin is so evil.) So I bought green and silver (not black, as Jacob pointed out to me) balloons, table cover and wrapping paper.
I also, forgot to buy Harry Potter t-shirts for the kids online like I had planned too, but luckily Jim found some at Walmart.
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Gracie has posing down to a science. She looks super cute in her Harry Potter shirt and jean skirt doesn't she?
She ended up bailing on the party and went to a movie with a friend. |
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| Makeshift Harry Potter wrapping paper. (surely Tanner was trying to figure out how to chew apart the present down there at the bottom of the photo) |
So it was time for Jacob's guests to arrive.
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| Welcome to Hogwarts! |
Jim borrowed a buddies Hagrid costume. It was my favorite.
I was happy to see a few of the boys dressed up.
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| Jacob and his best friend. Representing Slytherin and Gryffindor. |
The boys scarfed down some Little Ceasers.
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| Notice Jacob has changed into his Death Eater costume. I don't think I even saw him in his new Harry Potter t-shirt. |
And then it was time for the Scavenger Hunt.
I was really, really excited about the Scavenger Hunt. No really. Here's why.
Because I created it myself.
Because there WERE ABSOLUTELY NO EXAMPLES ONLINE FOR ME TO COPY!!!
I was so frustrated about that. I searched for a good hour trying to find rhyming clues I could use for a scavenger hunt and nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I finally came to the realization that I was going to have to make the clues myself and was freaked out a bit. But I rallied. It was actually easier than I thought. I figured out what rooms I wanted clues in and how I wanted to tie the location into something about Harry Potter and then I picked a word I wanted to rhyme and then the clues pretty much wrote themselves.
I broke the kids into four teams (the four Hogwarts houses) and they each had their own set of clues to find (see a sample in the jewelry box photo below).
Since I'm sure there are other mom's like me that are procrastinators, but still want their kids to have the most awesome birthday party ever, I'm going to share my clues with all of you on the internets.
Here they are, with some accompanying photos.
When accepted to Hogwarts
An owl brought the news to Harry
Find your next clue in a small box outside
Where a mailman does carry
Answer: Mailbox
Look for your next clue behind Jacob’s house
In a place that kind of looks like Haggrid’s Hut
But beware of the fierce creature named Tanner
For he may knock you on your butt
Answer: Shed
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| This was Jacob's favorite clue because it said "butt" |
Ron and Harry were attacked
by the Whomping Willow
Look out the front window
Where would you find a squirrel with a pillow?
Answer: Tree in the front yard
Harry and Ron had a battle
in this room with a troll
When you’re in this place
let’s hope you have a toilet roll
Answer: Bathroom
In Jacob’s room
you’ll find your next lead
It’s in the place where you’d find
What Hermione likes to read
Answer: Bookcase
The Great Hall
Is where the students like to eat
Your next clue is where
Jacob eats meat
Answer: Kitchen table
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| No time for pictures Mom, we need to find the next clue. |
They didn’t have computers at Hogwarts
They never looked at the screen
Look for your clue here
The giant desk is actually clean
Answer: Computer Room desk
Hermione and Jenny and Fleur
All wore fancy dresses to the ball
Where would Jacob’s sister hang her dress
Here’s a hint, it’s a room down the hall
Answer: Gracie's closet
Your next clued can be found
inside, by a tank
Where mermaids might live
And where fish food has sank
Answer: Fish Tank
One of Voldomort’s horcruxes
was sealed in a beautiful ring
If Jacob’s mom had such a gem
Where would she store this bling?
Answer: Jewelry box
Quidditch is a game at Hogwarts
Where Harry has much luck
Find your next clue downstairs
Near a game with a puck
Answer: Hockey Table
And this was the final clue:
When going to the Griffendoor house
The fat lady did sing
When you came to the party
What did you ring?
Answer: Door Bell
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| I got a dozen of those medals at Walmart for a buck. The boys thought they were cool. |
When they got to the doorbell, this message was taped next to it:
Congratulations!
You’ve completed the
Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt.
Ring the doorbell
and receive your reward.
The hunt was done in ten minutes which made me a little sad considering all the time it took me to put it together, but the boys really had a lot of fun doing it.
I knew it was all worth it when a few days later I saw Jacob writing his own clues for Gracie for a scavenger hunt he made up for her. It was really cute.
After the hunt we did presents, cake and butterbeer and then sent the boys downstairs to play. Man, I thought little girls were loud, but those 10 boys were LOUD. A few boys went home around 10 p.m. and the rest of the boys spent the night.
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| I think he liked it! |
Gracie came home from the movie and her and her little friend were playing downstairs with the boys while Jim and I were talking to her dad upstairs. When I went down to check and see how the movie was going (my attempt to settle them down) Gracie's friend had fallen asleep, so we just let her sleepover too.
Jim took over night duty like he normally does and I went to bed. I got up the next morning before anyone was up and ran and got some donuts. We never have donuts so this was a special treat.
My best Mom-slumber party tip is this: start gathering the kids clothes, bags and sleeping stuff well before the parents are scheduled to pick up the kids and have it all organized by the front door. It's a process, believe me.
Overall, I consider the party a success. Jacob sure seemed to have fun as did the other boys.
