HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONROE!!!!!!
Let's be honest--a baby's first birthday party is really more for the parents. The kid typically has no idea what is going on. So we wanted to celebrate in a way that would be fun for us and mark the completion of a wild, crazy, difficult, fun, amazing year. We wanted Monroe to get a kick out of it too, but all she really requires is people to pay attention to her, a nice supply of food, and a solid couple of naps per day, so this was not a tall order.
We planned a champagne brunch for right after morning nap (she was still asleep when the firsts guests started showing up, so that was perfect.) We had about 2 dozen of our friends over, most of whom were adults.
Games
I put up a dozen pictures of "first moments" from the first year of Monroe's life. There were the typical ones, like "first steps" and "first tooth," but we also included a few more idiosyncratic moments such as "first pretty dress" and "first foil hat." Guests got a sheet with all the firsts and all the dates on which they occurred, but jumbled. The only person to match every first with its date was Aunt Naomi, the big winner.
We also did decorate-your-own-party-hats. Naomi helped me cut them out of posterboard and we've been clipping random pictures and letters out of our junk mail for a while now in preparation for this activity. Junk mail pictures + glue sticks = free stickers. I planned this so that there would be at least one fun thing for the few kids I knew would attend, but it turned out to be fun for all ages. :-)
The kiddos also enjoyed sidewalk chalk, running up and down the length of the garden (the little rocks were lava and the big walks were islands) and sticking leaves in our fountain.
Cake
Monroe had cupcakes for her cake--a baby friendly recipie sweetened with fruit, so she could eat all she wanted. Good thingm because she ate TWO WHOLE CUPCAKES.
After cake and singing, we just hung out chatting while Monroe made the rounds to everyone who'd come to see her. We had a nice time visiting with all our guests, some of whom we hadn't seen since she was just a few months old!
I'll leave you with a few adorable pictures of Monroe in her party hat (made by Aunt Naomi):
We planned a champagne brunch for right after morning nap (she was still asleep when the firsts guests started showing up, so that was perfect.) We had about 2 dozen of our friends over, most of whom were adults.
Games
I put up a dozen pictures of "first moments" from the first year of Monroe's life. There were the typical ones, like "first steps" and "first tooth," but we also included a few more idiosyncratic moments such as "first pretty dress" and "first foil hat." Guests got a sheet with all the firsts and all the dates on which they occurred, but jumbled. The only person to match every first with its date was Aunt Naomi, the big winner.
We also did decorate-your-own-party-hats. Naomi helped me cut them out of posterboard and we've been clipping random pictures and letters out of our junk mail for a while now in preparation for this activity. Junk mail pictures + glue sticks = free stickers. I planned this so that there would be at least one fun thing for the few kids I knew would attend, but it turned out to be fun for all ages. :-)
The kiddos also enjoyed sidewalk chalk, running up and down the length of the garden (the little rocks were lava and the big walks were islands) and sticking leaves in our fountain.
Cake
Monroe had cupcakes for her cake--a baby friendly recipie sweetened with fruit, so she could eat all she wanted. Good thingm because she ate TWO WHOLE CUPCAKES.
After cake and singing, we just hung out chatting while Monroe made the rounds to everyone who'd come to see her. We had a nice time visiting with all our guests, some of whom we hadn't seen since she was just a few months old!
I'll leave you with a few adorable pictures of Monroe in her party hat (made by Aunt Naomi):
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