30 + 4 Birthday Bash

All our birthdays came together in one big party on Oct. 20. We had 31 people in the cafeteria of the Schweinfurt elementary school. Three families from Loralynn's German kindergarten attended (Jenna, Emely, and Hailey). Most of the other attendees were our friends without kids or with older kids.

Circle time at school gave Loralynn a chance to pick her favorite games.

The party was decorated for Loralynn since she's the cutest and was turning four years old. We've titled our parties each year 30 + __ (Loralynn's age) because we gave birth to Loralynn when we were 30 years old. Adding her current age to 30 is how old we are that year. So this year was our 30 + 4 party with a lollipop theme. We had had the lollipop theme planned for last October but Loralynn got really sick two days before the celebration and we had to cancel.

Dan spent around six hours the day before putting the cafeteria tables up by himself, decorating the room and setting up the photo booth. Clean up after the party was much quicker with all the extra hands we had. (Thank you Kristen and Andrew S. and Crystal and Mike C.!)

Jenna and Emely are friends from Loralynn's school

Most of the kids didn't even touch the pizza and just ate lollipops all evening (and cake). Tana never finished any of hers, but I believe she must have had 7 or 8 different flavors in her mouth throughout the party. We had a prize walk around numbered circles taped to the floor. While the music played, we walked. When the music stopped, we stopped on a number. Dan drew a number out of a hat and that number was the winner of a prize. Most of the kids went home with something from that game. Then we play "Tape the tail on the blow-up elephant." Kids were blindfolded (or so it seemed) and all of them got their tails amazingly on target. For obvious reasons, there was no winner for this game.

Our photo booth was set up the whole evening and we encouraged people to pick a mask, hat, or accessory to wear and take a photo of themselves. It was a fun idea and I think we'll do it again. It ended up being a much nicer way to remember who attended the party.

Many families went home with a whole pizza (we bought way too many) and a party hat full of lollipops. Loralynn got quite a few gifts some of them worth noting: her first Barbie "pregnant Barbie" fully loaded with baby that comes out of flip-around tummy, DVD of Bible stories & some classic kids' movies, a few German children's books (which I have read to her, I just don't understand the words I'm saying), a doggie in a carrier, Busy Town airport board game, Wiki sticks, and more. She's played the most with the Barbie and the dog with its carrier.

Loralynn sat at the head of the table for school lunch.

We had two quarter sheet commissary cakes (we only needed one) decorated with her

favorite characters Diego and Dora the Explorer as well as a princess on the other. Both cakes were mislabeled as chocolate when in fact they were vanilla. Even though Loralynn didn't say anything, I know that chocolate is her favorite and that was probably a let down to have two vanilla cakes. But what kids doesn't like frosting! I added my first experiment with cake pops (red velvet flavor) which turned out well despite the time and difficulties I had with them. 

On her actual birthday, Loralynn had a party at her German kindergarten with homemade chocolate cupcakes that we decorated with princess sprinkles together the night before. She wore her fuzzy tiara and brought her star wand.

Hailey (left) is one of Loralynn's favorite friends at school.

Tana also played "Tape the Tail on the Blow-up Elephant."