Happy Birthday Ethen! I invited some friends over from our ward to have a play date birthday. It was a Thomas the Train themed day. I had a lot of fun planning it, but spent one whole day and almost all night throwing it together. Why I waited two days before to do it I'll never know.
Ethen loves trains and we watch Thomas the Train or the "Little engine that Can" almost every day, so it was a perfect theme. I found lots of great ideas on pintrest and put many of the ideas together for one party. It was a great time. The other mom's really enjoyed it too. Elizabeth even talked me into letting her stay home from school so that she could be there for the party. I am glad she was there. It was a big help. But she had to go to school when we were done.
As friends arrived, they each had to get a ticket and put their names on it. They had to keep their ticket the whole party because they would need to have their ticket punched to ride the train to each activity station.
Here was our schedule for the day. We kept pretty close to the schedule.
Here are some of the decorations i made for the party. I tried to get the Thomas blue color with silver. It turned out pretty good I think. A few buntings, a banner, Crossing signs, and very cool railroad track.
A few days before the party Ethen had a card in the mail from his great grandma and grandpa Staley. I loved the card and since it was Thomas the train, it was just perfect to use as part of my decorating.
After all our friends had arrived and spent some time watching a movie and playing it was time to ride the train to our first destination: the Color A Train Station. Elizabeth was my conductor. I wish I had gotten a picture of her doing all this for me. She blow the train whistle and call all a board. the kids lined up on th tracks behind her. She punched each ticket and took them around the track a time or two.Then they would end up at the dinning room table for the activity. they colored first and then when finished went back into the living.
I would quickly clean up the station while Elizabeth would start again. blow the whistle, line up the kids, punch their ticket and take around a time or two and arrive at the table for the next activity i had set out.
The second destination was the Build a Train station. The kids did a great job on this one. using lots of shapes I had cut out and made a train. Glued it and used lots of stickers to decorate it.
He is a good shot of our train tracks. The kids loved marching around our house in a big cirle along the tracks and saying choo, choo. They were all so very cute.
Our third destination was the Thomas play station. We played several games. Pin the funnel on Thomas, Sir Topham Hat Says, and pass the train (hot potatoe)
Color a Train Station
Build A Train Station
Thomas Play Station
Ethen was the first to play pin the funnel on Thomas. Every child peaked under the mask to see. Ethen kept pulling all the funnels off that were not in the right spot and putting them where they should go. all the kids were able to get some small candy items and Thomas tattoos for playing the games.
After we played all the games it was time for cake and ice cream.
The last destination was the Cake Station
I ordered the cake from Giant Eagle and it was a wonderful cake! A marble Chocolate and vanilla with whipped cream frosting. I don't care much for frosting, but this one was really good. The mom's were impressed with it too. They all asked if I made the cake. They figured I was crafty so i must have made the cake too. Nope, no cake decorating for me. Not one of my talents.
Ethen finally snatched the trains from off the cake. He was eyeing it since I first showed him the cake. They all ate cake and ice cream before lunch. Dessert first is the way to go, right?!? When all the kids were done with cake and ice cream we headed into the living to open present.
He received a nightlight puppy pillow pet. So cool. Now he can give his sisters back and have his own. He's been using Elizabeth's since she got it at Christmas. He loves it. 3 balls and some bubbles. We'll have to wait for warmer weather to go use the bubbles. And now Ethen can have his own bouncy balls to play with and not fight with his sisters over their two pink and red ones.
It was a really great play date. I am glad that friends were able to come over and join the fun. The weather was not very good, lots of snow, and soo cold, so I am grateful these gals were still willing to venture out and be with us. Thank You to our friends for the fun morning!
