My husband and father-in-law hung brick patterned sheets on the front door so you entered the house through the Dragon Alley entrance. This should have been less complicated but we were in the middle of pre-storm weather which meant more wind than the sheets could manage. They had to weigh them down with wrenches and other tools from the garage so they didn’t blow away.
Once everyone was inside we headed downstairs where there was a table under which lit candles were hanging from the ceiling just like the Grand Hall in Hogwarts. Next each child got to select a wand under a cloth with the saying, “the wand picks the wizard”. They got to unwrap their wand and everyone liked their choice. They liked to see how their wands were different from their friends. My husband found them from a seller on Etsy and I think they were the best thing at the party. They were made from wooden dowels:
We sent the children outside to play Quiddich next using a collection of random balls we had with one spray painted gold as the Golden Snitch. My husband had put some hula hoops he’d spray painted onto stakes and placed them across the back yard. The game was less than a game and more running around throwing balls, swinging on the swing and sliding down the slide. Some of the younger children took off upstairs to find the Transformers to play with. The adults didn’t mind at all because everyone was busily having fun.
The rain started just in time for the cup cakes and birthday song. At that point I disappeared upstairs to put “magical creatures” all around the main and second floor. Magical creatures being small plastic animals and dragons. After the cup cakes had made a disaster of multiple faces and the carpet, I handed out bags and told the children it was time for a hunt. They ran upstairs and came down a while later with their bags full of creatures.
My son then got to hand out a chocolate frog he, my daughter and husband had made a few days before, a set of Harry Potter plastic glasses and some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to add to their bags. These beans turned out to be the most fun of the party for some of the children (and adults) as they found vomit, ear wax, dirt, earthworm, grass, booger, black pepper and rotten egg beans and tried to get the adults to eat them. I tried them all and they were appropriately named. I have a collection of the “bad” beans some of the children left for me to eat later.
We had some friends we’ve known for many years and some new friends attend the party. Two of the ladies attending are dear friends of mine and have recently become a couple after their marriages to their husbands didn’t work out. As they left the party one of them told me in a quiet voice, “thanks for having us, this was sort of our coming out party.” I was very touched they would choose our party to share their story. They are both lovely people and I’m so happy for them both.
My son was a gracious friend to all the people who came to his party. He made me proud all day long. Tonight he didn’t want to take his Harry Potter cloak, tie and shirt off to put his pajamas on. I think he had a good day.
The Big Boy Update: This afternoon towards the end of the birthday party I got down on my knees and asked my son for a hug. He looked at me and told me, “I’m going to hug you forever, mom” in a very sincere voice. Then he hugged me and hugged me and finally let go only when his name was called out by one of his friends.
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: My daughter and I were heading towards the bedroom for bath time this evening. She told me as she was walking and taking off her shirt, “do you know I can take off my clothes while walking? Well…my shirt, not my pants.”
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