Minute to Win it

Jared is turning 8 this year which means it is an official party with friends and everything year.  After much theme discussing he settled on having a minute to win it theme.  We had the party last Saturday the 07th and it turned out to be a lot of fun. Minute to win it games are silly and fast and he loves the ones we do at New Years. We figured out a  cake theme, picked a few games and Mark planned a fun scavenger hunt.   Scavenger hunts are always a favorite for Jared and Lydia. Mark made it more fun by scrambling the words of where they needed to go for the next clue; i.e. bikes = ikbes.  It made it a little more challenging since they are older kids.

I do enjoy throwing these parties for Jared and Lydia but as I've said before I think I am able to enjoy it more because it is not every year.  Mark commented on how happy he was that it is not every year. I do get a little stressed mostly just about the cake, not really anything else.  I can't even remember how many stores I went to last Monday to get ready bit it all worked out. Jared invited 5 friends who were all very nice boys. I'm grateful he has nice good friends.  The games played were:  Cookie face, scoop it up, M&M Suck, Thats a wrap, Post it, Puddle jumper, and Thats corny. I would not play puddle jumper or wrap it up again but the others were quick and fun.  I told the kids they could eat snacks whenever they wanted and it worked fine.  After the games we went on the scavenger hunt.  At the end of the hint they each got a treat bag that had a glow stick, kit kat bar and a stopwatch timer.  They were a hit. I knew the stopwatches would be a big hit.  I actually ordered them online from eBay and was quite nervous that they wouldn't arrive on time. I ordered them the first week of September and they arrived on Wednesday so 3 days before the party!  I had ordered some bak up ones from Amazon just in case but was really glad the others arrived.

Snacks and game supplies.  These were about the extent of the decorations.  We had balloons around the front room for them to play with as we waited for everyone to arrive.

Cheeseballs, Fruit by the Foot (the favorite), M&M's and Go Gurts. 

Cookie Face, so hilarious to watch.

Puddle Jumper

M&M Suck

Post it

Scoreboard 

Beginning of scavenger hunt, the first clue was in that balloon.

Finding the prize

Party Bag

I was really happy with how the cake turned out. I have never worked with fondant before and didn't really want to but I wanted my buttercream frosting to look like fondant. I watched quite a few videos online on cake making and even bought some cake decorating tools.  I found this great set on Amazon for 13.99 that had a rotating cake platter, an off-set spatula and an icing smoother.  They all worked great. I sadly did not get the top cake quite level, but it turned out fine.  The frosting I made was the most involved frosting I have ever attempted. It had 5 2/3 cups powder sugar and it had to be added one spoonful at a time and the butter had to be whipped for 8 minutes before I was even supposed to start adding the spoonfuls of powder sugar. I was very grateful for my standing mixer, a kitchen appliance I don't even use once a month. It took a good while but it worked great.  I did use fondant for the numbers and cookie cutters and it was so easy.  I loved it and would be happy to "decorate" a cake with it again, as long as its super basic like this. I had the cake all finished with an hour to spare and then as I was putting some salsa back in the fridge it dipped onto the cake, I was so mad!  It left a dent on my wonderfully smoothed out top layer.  So I had to try to re-frost that spot and level it out. I was so glad I had some leftover frosting.

We ate cake and ice cream (hardly any cake was eaten since they ate so many snacks, oh well) and then opened presents. Afterwards we went outside to play while we waited for parents to pick up their boys.  I am so glad we could celebrate Jared. I am also so glad that his next party is in 4 years.

Tyler, Eli, Marcus, Jared, Joseph, and Peter

This Saturday is his actual birthday and we are celebrating again, only this time with his baptism.  He is so happy he can be baptized on his actual birthday. I'm happy for him too.  My mom, sister Susanna and Mark's mom are all arriving tomorrow.  It will be great to celebrate him again on his actual birthday.  Even if it means making 2 cakes.  Parties always throw me off because if its not on their actual birthday because I really feel like there should be some special treat with candles in it the day of.  This cake will not involve buttercream frosting or leveling of layers! I think I normally just add candles to their breakfast but he wanted crepes and why not make more cake?