Lea's 3rd Birthday (3 ring circus!) was a complete success. We had so much fun. As usual, Mommy had grand plans and Daddy made them all come to reality. We had a make shift big top. A cardboard box circus train and an acrobat course. Mommy's vision realized thanks to Daddy's hard work!
I put together some circus posters, that I am rather proud of, to decorate the fence. I found some posters on a college collection website and changed out the text for the toddler/pre-school theme.
Circus Posters slideshow
The party began with some outside play. We put together our pre-school sized acrobat course and, when completed, the kids got a sticker. Leo ended up with 6 stickers. The stickers were a hit! Here, Lea leads Molly and Anna on the "tightrope" as Dylan watches and waits her turn.
The tumbling area was the second stop on the course. This was not too popular until I sat down and helped the kids flip over, then many of the kids were tickled to roll over.
Last on the course was the trapeze swing, the most popular stop. Daddy pushes Lea on the trapeze swing
This was the most popular and has become a permanent fixture in our back yard. Lea still loves it. While both Lea and Leo tried to push the boundaries by pulling up a chair and jumping off, (which we quickly put the kibosh on) they were content to be swung by Dan. He could get them pretty high (as seen in the videos at the end). The kids loved the swing.
In between acrobat course play, the kids ran around in the circus train, painted and put together by Daddy. He did such a great job putting this fun play area together. Grandpa Dan bought us great inflatable animals for our menagerie. Lea, Leo and Dylan played a game of runaway monkey (also in the videos at the bottom).
Dylan and Lea peek out of the Circus Train
Lea and Dylan in the Circus Train
The managerie
And once all our guests arrived and had some outside play time, we made our way inside for the best puppet show ever. Mia and her friend Lucy put on a wonderful marionette puppet show with the help of Leo (who helped set up the different scenes). The kiddos sat perfectly for the show with help from some hulless popcorn snacks and juice bags, but mostly I think parents and kids sat enraptured by the great show. Mia and Lucy used a combination of dolls, stuffed animals and crafted puppets to do Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Teddy Bear Picnic and more verses to the Itsy Bitsy Spider than anyone knew (well I guess the girls knew them, but I was amazed!). My favorite of their puppets was the glow worm which was a large plastic tube (like a can for tennis balls) with yellow pipe cleaners inside for the glow. That one really struck me as inventive, but all of the puppets were great. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Super Bear. Lea is quick to remind me of Super Bear. Super Bear was baby bear who kept wanting to fly around and interrupt things. This was a cute addition and transition throughout the show. The little kids really loved super bear and his super hero call of "Su-u-u-per Bear"
The Puppeteers in front of their adoring audience
The puppeteers Lucy and Mia with their stage hand Leo.
Aunt Teresa got Lea a "3" ribbon that she wore with pride.
Aunt Bonny and Lalanya got in the spirit of the party with clown noses. Bonny and Lalanya brought lots of clown paraphernalia. The noses were a big hit. We also got a flower that squirted water. Dan and I had Lea convinced that it just blew air for a while, but she got wise somehow and we made it a pool toy. Lea squirts it at us when we "smell the flower," but it also makes a good fountain.
Lea and Lucy with clown noses.
After the puppet show it was time for presents and cake. That went swiftly and wonderfully. Lea got wonderful presents from everyone. Thank you so much to everyone. We've had so much fun with all the presents.
Lea with one of her fabulous presents. Sleeping Beauty and her pretty dresses.
Lea in her new Tinkerbell hat blowing out her candle.
And finally (if you're 3) it was time to swim. I put swimming on the invitation because I knew that the kids would see the pool while playing outside, and we swam last year. I was very worried it was too much to ask of the guests and fretted that the moms would leave before swimming, but everyone was all for swimming. The kids asked a few times "is it time to swim yet?" All the kids got in the pool, and many parents too. Who knew our little pool would hold so many people? It was so fun to swim with everyone and I was thrilled that everyone was excited about it. Really what better way is there to spend a July afternoon?
The look of joy on Daddy's face as he soaks in monkey soup
We had a blast. The next day, when it was just me and Lea in the pool, I asked, "do you like the pool better like this or filled with your friends?" "With friends," Lea quickly answered.
The kids played around out of the pool too. Here are Kris, Lea and Wilder playing with the new water channel table.
Lea (and mommy) had a perfect 3rd birthday. We really had so much fun. It all happened very fast and I kept losing my camera, so thanks to the people who helped me put together these photos. Nothing shows how much fun Lea had better than this photo of Lea running with the reckless abandon of being three.
Here is the Video Playlist. It covers the gamut of the party.
And here is a link for all the photos.
We had a blast. The next day, when it was just me and Lea in the pool, I asked, "do you like the pool better like this or filled with your friends?" "With friends," Lea quickly answered.The kids played around out of the pool too. Here are Kris, Lea and Wilder playing with the new water channel table.
Lea (and mommy) had a perfect 3rd birthday. We really had so much fun. It all happened very fast and I kept losing my camera, so thanks to the people who helped me put together these photos. Nothing shows how much fun Lea had better than this photo of Lea running with the reckless abandon of being three.
Here is the Video Playlist. It covers the gamut of the party.
And here is a link for all the photos.
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