Petite Chefs

Rebecca started planning her birthday party in December.  With the move, we finally had to tell her we couldn't discuss the party plans until April 1st.  For most of April party plans were being discusses right and left with modifications being given almost as quickly ... I don't think the plans were truly decided on until right before the party ... our conversations went something like this ... 

yes cake decorating would be a great idea, 
we can bake pizzas too, 
I don't see how there's time to bake cookies too, 
no a competition would not be a good idea, even if Emily and Halle are going to be the judges, and I don't think teams are a great idea either, let's just let everyone do their own, okay?
if you're going to invite 8 of the 10 girls in your class, you should invite all of them, I understand they don't all get along, if they don't want to come that's their choice.
you're going to have to choose between watching a movie and all these other things you want to do, I don't think a six hour party is going to work, honey. 
ooohh sequins monograms would be lovely, but not at $6 a letter. 

In the end she settled on a handful of girls, her good chums from school, to come for a night of cake decorating, making pizzas and well, eating and giggling.  It was one of the best birthday parties we've held, by way of my personal enjoyment and stress level, and the girls had a great time.  

We had a 6" cake for each girl to decorate with lots of candies and icing and sprinkles.  They also decorated cupcakes which we used as Rebecca's birthday cake at the end of the party.  While the girls decorated their cakes, I made pizza dough so they could each make their own personal pizza for dinner.  

Becca and I toyed with the idea of decorating aprons but that quickly became cost and time prohibited, so I opted to make the girls aprons, and I'm so pleased I did.  The end result was so much better than anything I could have hoped for.  To make them a bit more fun, I made each girl a little flower pin using scraps from the aprons and coordinating fabrics.  I love this tutorial!   


While the girls and I were doing the party, GR took the four other kids to dinner, and then Mother's Day shopping.  Becca got upset that she didn't get to go out to dinner, and Emily and Sam were sad they didn't get to decorate cakes.  How do you win?!

I'm hoping I can figure out how to help the this summers birthday parties be just as fun and easy going for us and the kids.  For sure we need to have one for Emily.  The poor kid hasn't had a birthday party with friends, that I can remember since she was three or four maybe.  So, this is the year, wish me luck that I don't get totally wiped out by the rest of the summer and poop out.