Sugar and Spice and Serious Amounts of Energy

I’ve said it on this blog before, and I’ll say it again.  Whoever said that little girls play quietly, sit and color, and act calmly has never visited our house.  Today was another example of that.  It was the Valentine’s party for the girls and some of Nina’s friends from her class and three other girls (3rd graders) that live on our street.  There were thirteen girls, and these little girls had some serious energy.

I started out with real simple ambitions for the party…a low key party with a craft, making Valentines, some snacks, etc.  I just managed to make it more complicated than I started out planning it to be. I picked a craft with lots of steps, and I most definitely underestimated the power of the combined energy level of thirteen girls! They all had a great time, but it was definitely crazy.  I did manage to take a few pictures of the “before” party.

 

I had spent some nights and early mornings cutting, tracing, folding, etc. in preparation for the craft and cards.  I thought I was well prepared.  I put all the little craft pieces in separate folders for each girl and evenly distributed all the stickers, cut outs, and craft supplies so everyone would have what they needed.  I have to say I was kind of impressed with myself.  However, it took about 5 seconds from the time I got the girls at the craft table till the first folder fell over and spilled on the floor, then the contents of one folder got spilled on the table and mixed up in the next persons, then all the little girls are talking so no one can hear directions, then Lyla is jumping off the couch, then ten more folders spill on the floor, then it was nuts.  Fun for the girls, but nuts. 

I managed to pick up my camera once even though I put it on the bar right next to the craft table because I was planning to take a lot of pictures.  When you hear Miss Amanda! Miss Amanda! 50 times in a minute, it’s kind of hard to take pictures.  At the point when I took this picture, half of the party was sliding down a plastic slide on a Bilibo or running circles around the basement.

Keep in mind, I didn’t even give them their sugary food prior to this point.  The food and cupcakes came at the end.  I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if they would have had that first. 

I guess the important thing was that it was a lot of fun for the kids.  Nina told me that she had such a great time and that she even felt like it was her birthday or something.  And I guess the other important thing was that I had a beer in my hand after I got the kids in bed and I turned to clean-up duty.