mardi-gras mn style

I guess I have always been the mom who went a little overboard at birthday parties.  There's always a theme, matching cake, hand-made invitations and tons of pictures to remember the big day. Obviously, I am over compensating for the lack of big productions during my formative years.  I just expected that the hoopla would die down at some point - that it would stop being cool. 

Apparently, I was wrong.

So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that neither of my children has ever opted for a Chuck E. Cheese type birthday party.  They want all of their parties at home, and so begins the 2012 installment of Mardi-Gras birthday week.

Today was Kooka 10th birthday party - "blinged out birthday party" to be precise.  Each girl got a "diamond" studded invitation, and we spent the day, attaching neon hair extentions, "blinging out" little purses and journals, swimming, fondue-dipping, hot-tubbing, and eating what may possibly be the most delicious homemade cake I have ever made. (Which is saying something because I'm up to about 30). It's a long story, but somehow our two and a half hour birthday ran from noon until 8:30 pm. We were all exhausted - especially Yoda, who was passed around like a human cabbage patch doll for most of the day.

On Tuesday June 5th, we'll celebrate Kooka's real birthday with a quiet family dinner.  It's a tradition that both kids love.  They want to party, but when it comes to the real celebration, they just want the closesness of their family.

On Thursday, Punk's friends will descend on the house for his first teenage sleepover - complete with movies, nerf guns, dominos pizza and more hot-tubbing.  Later in the week, he'll also have a family dinner (he's already chosen KFC extra crispy along with fried PB&J sandwiches).

After that we'll take a little break from cake-making and streamers and thank-you notes . . . until the end of July, when Yoda, Gram and Rico start another week and a half of Mardi-Gras birthdays. (Though Rico's present has already been delivered - and used).

Sister smooches for the special day!

Kooka's blinged out swag.

It took her FOUR tries. Apparently she has a lot of boyfriends.

It's OK to stare, I didn't know I was capable of making a four layer cake either.  It was a beast to cut - but well worth the three days it took Kooka and I make.  Poor Yoda watched us work on that cake for two nights straight before she could have any.