Birthday week

Cate's birthday is coming up on Wednesday, so we kicked off birthday week with her party on Friday evening. We invited a few friends from her old school and a few from church to a party at a carousel in one of the Topeka parks. After the evening was done, I asked Cate what was her favorite thing about her party. She said, "Everything." Mission accomplished.
We decorated the room in pink and green.
This was the table with the party favors, a small candy buffet and Cate's princess birthday cake.
Our small, yet popular, candy buffet: pink and green M&Ms, pink and green jelly beans, Starbust packets wrapped in pink paper and pink and green lollipops. We had pink and green sacks for the kids to fill with candy and take home. I'm sure the parents were loving it :)
As the kids were coming in, we had them work on prince and princess crowns. Here is Cate making good use of the glue stick.
One key to kid party success: lots of balloons. Even little brothers like pink balloons.
The carousel rides were a hit with everyone. The ride lasts four and half minutes!
Blowing out the candles on the birthday cake.
Loving the chocolate cake and oreo cookie ice cream. The ice cream was delicious and I owe some credit to Stephen's mom for the idea. I mixed on gallon of vanilla ice cream, one container of Cool Whip and a whole package of oreo cookies, ground up in the food processor. It was so good....I made a second kind too :) Vanilla ice cream, cool whip and nutter butters. Yum.
After they were done making crowns, riding the carousel, eating dinner, eating cake and ice cream, opening presents, riding the carousel and getting candy treats (whew!), everyone went outside to burn off the last of their energy on the playground.