Brenna's 4th Birthday

Oh my!  Where to begin?  Brenna turned 4!  I can't believe how quickly the years have gone by.  I still haven't come to grips with the fact that she'll be starting preschool next month.  There's so many things I love about this age.  She's beautiful, (she's always been beautiful, but now she's beautiful with more hair), smart, active, rambunctious, spunky, and lives in a pretend world for most of her day.  I love her imagination right now.  Throughout the day we solve mysteries, hunt dinosaurs, swing on vines through the jungle, and sail on a pirate ship.  She absorbs everything that she sees and hears and processes it in that brilliant little mind of hers.  She's our gift from God and a very special little girl.

Like every birthday party before this, the planning started months before with a simple question.  "What do you want your birthday party theme to be this year?"  and the answer, "Rainbows!"

Sounded simple enough.  You'd think with something as common as rainbows there would be rainbow party decorations everywhere.  Oh, was I wrong.  After hitting all the major chain party suppliers and coming up with naughta, I regrouped and started visiting the more boutique party shops.  After no luck, I finally asked one of the store owners why there weren't any rainbow party decorations!  Her response was surprising.  Apparently, shortly after the gay pride movement and the rainbow was selected as the official logo for that movement, the children's party supply manufactures began to back away from rainbows as a kids party theme.  So unless it had a unicorn, Rainbow Bright (remember her?), or a Care Bear on it, there were no rainbow party supplies to be found.

So, equipped with my Parents Magazine article on Do-it-Yourself Birthday Parties, I hit the Internet in search of homemade rainbow party decorations.  At this point I'd just like to say that if you may have that particular magazine, THROW IT AWAY!  If you've read the article, FORGET IT!  It's not worth it ladies!  You all know I'm the queen of bargain shopping and love to find a nice cheap alternative, but don't do it!  Not for this.  Spend your $35 at Party City with confidence knowing that its the most effective and sanity-saving way to spend your time.  I won't go into the details of the hours of printing, cutting, gluing, pasting, and taping it took to put together one simple party tablescape.  Just heed my warning and learn from my mistake.  It will save you a whole lot of headaches and numb fingers.

On a more positive note, I wouldn't have done this particular party any other way.  Brenna wanted Rainbows and this was the only way she was gonna get them.  Also, she had a great time "helping" make all the decorations with me, so it really led to her enthusiasm about the party.  This year we had it at an indoor playground.  Texas in July is no place for a backyard birthday (without water) and 12 kids and their energy level can no longer be contained in my very breakable house.  This worked out great.  The kids had a fantastic time and the adults got the sit back and chat without worrying about the kids bouncing off the padding floor and walls.

Here's some shots from the day.  Thanks so much to everyone for a wonderful birthday!