Family Stuff to Share - a mini golf, Pokemon extravaganza birthday!

I am not generally one to post crafts and how-tos and stuff like that. But this time I think my husband and I deserve a pat on the back and maybe a gold star for our backyard mini-golf course Pokemon extravaganza.

My husband built the mini-golf course in our yard - don't ask how he did it, or what materials he used, or where he came up with his ideas because I don't know. He is a magician in his magic workshop (formally known as a garage). He just goes in there and stuff comes out. His son said "I want a mini-golf course for my party" and voila we had one.

There were mazes, and water traps, the hole under the loop-de-loop was filled with popcorn (which the birds loved when the party was over). Then on the tropical palm tree hole there were sprinklers (which the kids loved in July). And because the party was Pokemon themed, we had Poke-golf-balls!

I wish I could say that the paint stayed on through the whole match - but it chipped on a lot of them. I even sprayed them with a sealer but they still chipped. For the time they lasted they were a big hit. 

Each kiddo also got a Pokemon wrist band when they started and a poke-badge when they were done. I forgot to take pictures of the badges but basically I took this idea from the necklaces I made for last year's party, searched the internet for Pokemon Badge images and printed them out to size and used gimp for a necklace. You can get all the pieces at your local craft store - I shop at Michaels. 

 

Then we made a Pokeball pinata out of old cardboard and some crepe paper. It was not the best pinata I have made - the Minecraft one came out better last year. I didn't add enough duct tape to the edges and it came apart easier than it should have. But it did look great while it lasted and it was filled with bouncy balls, tiny erasers, confetti, lollipops, gum, Pokemon rings and all good things so the kids were ultimately happy!

But the best part of the party - aside from the fact that we had a mini-golf course in our yard - was the cake! I got the idea from Pinterest (I know - huge shock!). It was so easy - I found a picture online of Espeon (his favorite Pokemon) and just did the frozen buttercream technique I got from Wilton. The cake itself was rainbow (another Pinterest technique) so I made some chocolate cupcakes because that really is his favorite flavor of cake and topped them with Pokemon cupcake rings. The Pokeball on top was half of the small soccer ball pan from Wilton, the main cake was a 16" square pan. It took 4 boxes of vanilla cake mix, 2 boxes of chocolate cake mix and 6 recipes of buttercream frosting! My husband, in his magic workshop, made the cake base (for a few minutes I wasn't actually sure it would fit through our back door - but I just made it with my hands under the board). There were 62 people at the party (39 adults and 23 kids) and everyone got cake! 

There are other cool parts of the party. Over the years we have collected a cotton candy maker, a slushie maker and a really cool popcorn popper so the kids get to have treats like at a carnival. Then there were the water gun fights after the golf game was over and the water balloon fight. There is also a ton of food (including my husband's famous chicken w/a brown sugar & Cavender's rub on the grill) and this year we had lemonade sangria (I make a new sangria recipe for every party). 

The BEST part of the party was that so many of our friends and family were there. Party day is always a crazy day - it is part family reunion, part high school reunion and part 8-year-old party. It is never unforgettable. 

Here we go again .......

I continue to think, as I put my head on my pillow to sleep, I need to write my blog. And then I drift off to blissful dreaming with plans in my head for the most awesome blog anyone has ever written. People all over the world will be overwhelmed with my wit and wisdom. And then the alarm sounds, I can't remember all the amazing observations I have made in my dreams, and I head off to work. Only to find myself thinking of the blog as I again drift off to sleep.

It is a vicious cycle. Much like everything else in life. The same scenario occurs in my world with regards to going to the gym and cutting out bad food. Every night as I drift off to sleep I have a plan to be more productive, more healthy, more creative, just more.

But enough self deprecating. It is summer and I am frustrated. The recession has officially hit my home and altered my way of life and I am frustrated. There will be no camping trip to the White Mountains, there will be a smaller birthday party for the soon to be six-year-old. It will be a scaled down summer. So as politicians battle it out for my vote, as the Supreme Court decides what my healthcare will look like, as Congress makes decisions about my world, as bank CEOs receive millions in bonuses and the cog of capitalism continues to turn I will be trying to figure out how to make happy family memories on significantly less.

So - the birthday party will be a carnival. We had originally thought we would just go to the party store and get the brightly colored games and some prizes. But the prices were outrageous - $29.00 for 6 cans and a ball (really!). So we will make the games ourselves. We are saving empty cans so the kids can knock them down, empty soda bottles for a ring toss, we recycled plastic Easter eggs for an egg race - with some other ideas to come. Then we will have some face painting, balloon making and lots of food. It will still end up costing a fortune, but I think this kind of party creates childhood memories that last (or at least I hope it will). Perhaps I will write a blog about how to plan a carnival party on a budget when I figure it out all the details.

I will be doing lots of day trips this summer. One of the greatest resources people don't think about is your public library. You can find all sorts of discounts and passes for museums and parking at state parks. You won't get to go to Six Flags - but you could spend a day exploring a State Park for free, or spend the day at a Sports Museum for under $10.00. I like to call them adventure days. This week I think we will visit the USS Constitution. Learn a little about history, enjoy the summer heat and spend not much. Then stop at the beach on the way home. The most expensive thing about these adventures is food - but I think for this one we will bring a cooler. 

I am fortunate, my mortgage is not upside down, I don't wonder how I will feed my children every week, my marriage is happy, my kids are healthy, I live in a part of the country where I can visit beaches, and forests and history. But it is a frustrating time - the wealthy continue to gain wealth at the expense of the people, without whom they would have no wealth; the politicians seem so out of touch with the people they were elected to serve, and the middle class who worked so hard is dwindling to nothing. I heard a news report the other day that people who own 2, 3, 4 million dollar homes are under water and are seeking home modification loans. Amazing! I continue to try and refinance, so that the mortgage is not so draining, but I don't qualify - and someone who purchased a $3,000,000.00 home does? The world just makes no sense to me anymore.

So I vent and I complain, but ultimately I am doing all right. So tonight I can put my head on my pillow and plan how tomorrow I will be even better.