Wesley's Bug Party

 I think all kids should have a few big party's during their childhood, but having one every year can become a bit much.  At least, planning them can become a lot of work.  I have thrown Wesley a party each year, but they have all been mostly family.  Jason really wanted to have a jumper this year, so, I figured if we were going to spend the money on a jumper, we should invite a lot of Wesley's little friends.  Then, if we invite his friends, I have to make sure it is a fun party. Then, if it is going to be a good party, I'd better plan early. So, a few months ago when I was trying to figure out the theme for Wesley's party, he told me he wanted a bug party.  At first I was a little surprised since he is not particularly overly interested in bugs.  He loves collecting things, so I thought we would have a treasure pirate party or something of that sort.   However, he was insistent on the bug party, and the more I thought about it, the more I loved the theme.  I love nature, and science, so it was easy to combine the two.  Plus, the party was going to be half girls, so this was an easy theme to make gender neutral.  I wanted  a lot of "happy" cute bugs, and not the scary kind.  I spent a few hours almost every day planning the party.  I am a little OCD, and I wrote list after list containing all sorts of things from the number of people coming, to what kind of food to have, and what games to play.  I cut out tons of bugs and decorations with my cricut ( an electric dicutting machine).  I went on numerous trips to the dollar tree and to Target getting decorations, table cloths, food, items for the games, and so on.   My mom, grandma and I spent hours paining rocks to look like bugs, making tissue paper pom poms to hang from the patio, and putting together bug jars for all the kids.  My life was consumed with party planning and bugs for the entire month of march.  It kept me busy, and stressed.  I was so excited for the party, and I was excited to see all my family and friends.  I was excited to see Wesley have fun, and to see all the fun gifts.  I was also excited for it to be over, so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore! lol  I always put too much pressure on myself to do things the best I can.  I was like that in school, and I am still like that today.  I wanted to give Wesley the best party I could, and I didn't want to overlook any details!  I worried about the adults having fun as well as the kids.   I worried about having enough goodie bags for all the kids and their siblings.  I worried about the games being fun enough, and the food being good enough, and there being room enough.  And so on.  It never fails though - in the end every single thing turns out great, and I remind myself that I need not stress next time, because everything always works out!   It really was a super fun party.  Everyone had a great time (I think), and I am really happy with how it turned out.  A lot of mom's told me they had a lot of fun, and that they loved the theme.  It was nice having a boy party that was so cute and fun, and not so "boyish."  Wesley had a blast, and that is what matters most at the end of the day!  :-) 

 I spent a long time trying to come up with the perfect games.  We were going to have a jumper, so I knew we didn't need too many games.  While I was asking Wesley what games he wanted to play, he informed me that he did not want to play any games, and that he just wanted to jump in the jumper.  When ever we go to other people's party's, he never wants to play any games, so I wasn't surprised, but I was still a little bummed.  I told him the other kids would want to play games, and that we were still going to have games, and that he didn't have to play them if he didn't want to.  I was hoping he would change his mind, but I know Wesley, and once he makes up his mind, not much can change it.  Sure enough - when it came time for games at the party, he didn't want to play.  I was ok with it, and didn't push it, but some of the mom's didn't know, and kept trying to get him out of the jumper to play games.  He has a bit of a temper on him, and started getting really upset and yelling.  I had to run over and try to explain to the mom's what was going on.  I felt really bad though - I didn't want all the mom's to think he was crazy.  Luckily, one of Wesley's friends (the son of his teacher in primary) who is about 7 stayed with Wesley and they just wanted to play together and neither of them were interested in the games.  I'm glad he wasn't alone :-)  However, It was his party, and he could do what he wanted to!  :-)

I was also worried about present opening time.  Wesley loves opening gifts, but he gets so involved in each gift that he forgets about all others.  There have been emotional meltdowns during past birthday's when he just wanted to play with the gift he just opened.  He will cry and throw little tantrums when we try to get him to open the other gifts.  Or, even if he willingly opens all of the gifts, it still takes him a long time because he study's each one, and slowly looks at all the pictures on the box, and so on.  So, I was almost certain something was going to happen during gift opening time.  Sure enough - one of the first gifts he got was a little savings box for him to put his money in, and it came with a lock and key.  He was so excited about the lock and key, and they immediately became his "treasure."  His treasures are his most prized possessions, and he didn't want to put them down.  He kept them in his hand tightly as he opened his other gifts and was more worried about where his key and lock were than what gift he was opening.  I was a little embarrassed, and I kept trying to have him put the lock and key in his pocket so he could open gifts.  We had practiced opening gifts at home, and I told him that each time he opened one he needed to go tell the person that gave him the gift "Thank you!"  Luckily, he was really sweet and went and gave each person a hug and said "Thank you" every time he opened a gift.  However, he held tight to that lock and key, and wasn't overly interested in the other toys.  He finally gave the lock and key away to our aunt, and things went pretty smoothly the rest of the time.   He got a lot of fun things, and we are very grateful for everyone who came to celebrate Wesley!

I took tons of pictures.  I put up a lot on facebook, but for those that don't use that I will post some here. 

A centerpiece I made out of sticks

So each child got his or her own bug jar with a magnifying glass inside.  We had three games, or "bug adventures" in which they could earn or find bugs to add to the jar

centipede lolly pops

Each kid got their own geode to break open at home

Cutest cake ever!  A little Wesley playing in the "dirt" We hired a lady in our ward, Dina Leavitt to make the cake.  She did a fantastic job!

Wesley wasn't a big fan of the "dirt."  I think he was a little confused as to what it was. The lady who made it actually baked homemade oreos to crumble.  She put a lot of work into it.  Little Wesley didn't care as he loudly exclaimed at his party, "I don't really like this brown stuff!!"  Then, the next day at church he went up to the lady who made the cake  and thanked her for the cake, but also told her that he didn't like it!  Ugh, the honesty of kids!  :-) 

centerpiece for all the tables outside

some of the prizes

Chase is so shy, and he wasn't very happy until the end when almost everyone left!

The first bug adventure was a metal detector hunt in the sand for little metal bug charms.  The metal detector couldn't pick up the metal in the charms, so they ended up just digging for them in the sand.  The kids still had a lot of fun.  

Then, the second adventure was pin the spot on the "man" bug.  Everyone got a few bug erasers to add to their jar.   If they got the spot on the bug, they got 5 erasers.  If they got the spot on one of two dotted spots in the center, they got a giant plastic bug. 

Even my dad played! 

 The final Bug adventure was a bug hunt.  I made these cute signs to go above each game station.  My brother and sister in law helped me hide over 120 plastic bug all over the front yard.  I also had some bug easter eggs, and each kid got two.  Inside 5 of the eggs was a prize coupon for either a bug net, or a bug viewer.  Some of the kids left with an armful of toys and prizes! 

So, all the kids wanted different "body parts" of Wesley.  By the end, the cake looked  like a graveyard with arms and legs sticking out of the "dirt"  It was pretty comical actually. 

He is making sure his treasure are ok in his pocket.  Lol 

Look at his awesome face as he looks as those bugs!

just some of his gifts! 

Chase did not want to go in the jumper.  Finally, by the end, he warmed up and had some fun. 

Auntie Jennifer even caught a real bug and put it in one of the bug catchers he got as a gift.  It was so gross, lol