Birthday party Fun: the Pink and Purple Rumpus!

Naomi in the "Birthday seat"
Rachel in the "Birthday seat"
Jael did an awesome job of hostessing the gym studio birthday party for Naomi and Rachel! Wewere so blessed to have friends come down from Ponca City, an hour north, Abby, Landis, and Hannah Riggs and mom, Michelle from south of OKC, even more than an hour away as local friends and family too. The children (and the adults, to include Charlie and Hannah's husband Jon) had a blast playing on all the gymnastics equipment, tossing a 10 pound medicine ball back and forth, climbing the long ropes which hung from the ceiling, trampolines, ball pits, swings, a huge slide, competition sized mats for tumbling and romping. I wanted to open the party with my favorite line from one of my favorite children's book: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE..."and now, let the WILD RUMPUS START!!" but the kids were rumpusssssing before I could utter a word. They played until our Hostess ushered everyone upstaris for cup cakes with ice cream, salty snacks and beverages, and for the opening of gifts. FUN FUN FUN!!!! Al lthe "girly" pink and purple snacks and gifts opened, the boys especially were eager to get back to the business of rumpussing. Photos were a bit challenging in parts of the gym because of lighting, and dark complected children, (and I know NOTHING of editing and lightening up photos) but from all indications, a great time was had by all. Michelle and kiddos came back to our house for hot dog and beans for supper, Malachi showed up with a copy of Narnia 2, and what little energy the children had left was spent lounging and concentrating on the movie.
this party was particularly cool because every family in attendance was not only bio-fam, but had foster, and adopted children, "step" children (which I prefer to call "grafted in" heretofore, and even a family VERY interested in adoption who had unofficially adopted an older widow as "Gramma". Our guests were also quite inter national in origins as well...USA of course, but from Bangladesh, Liberia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Vietnam, Cambodia and Guam .
NOT A FIGHT broke out, not a squabble or "territorial dispute" not an injury was incurred either and considering we had over 32 people together who aged from 3 to
50's all playing together, I think that is an impressive statistic. It was so fun to see older kids showing the younger ones how to do different challenges and to see everyone cheering all the others on. It was maybe the most fun birthday party we've done, ever!! Thanks to all who came and made the girl's party so very special for them!!!
Here comes Birthday Cupcakes.1/2 iced in pink for Rachel and 1/2 iced in purple for Naomi! This was as many kids as we could get into one small room and one camera screen while the photographer and subjects were in the same room
Blow out those candles girl!!

Abby climbing up and over a padded wall. HARD WORK!
This slide is best experienced when sitting on a piece of carpeting (provided) to prevent foot drag. The kids had a blast climbing to the top so they could "launch". Winston and Uriah were sure they were "goooona die" but when they pushed off, discovered a new delight!


COMING DOWN!!

Abby Riggs' little brother Landis tries out the donut ring. This thing is SO fun to get in side of and have someone roll you around!!Abby is holding onto the side of the donut