My Name Is Martha in My Dreams

Zoe's birthday is a big celebration in our house for many reasons.  Each year that we get to celebrate her brings my heart joy.  On her real birth-day, we had no clue if she would see age 1, let alone age 5.  Since hers is the only birthday where we get free reign, I tend to go a bit crazy. 

I'm notorious for coming up with a theme and then trying to make a party from the theme, rather than seeing what's available and going with something.  We've done:

Onderful Ladybuy Party

Tworific Garden Party (we planted seeds and Zoe was the only child to eat the dirt and seeds)

Footloose and Fancy Three (a music party)

Fantastic Four (a superhero party)

Then nothing fun went with five.  Zoe thought of a So Fairy Five party and make it a Tinkerbell party.  I loved it.  She came up with a theme using the word "five" that was cute and full of possibilities.  All of a sudden, without any warning, she thought that a fairy party was NOT COOL! 

I've racked my brain about things that rhyme with five.  None of them are what Zoe would like.  Why couldn't we do the music/dance party this year.  I could've gone on and on with Stayin' Five.  I'm sure I could've even found a white, polyester suit for N!  We could've given combs in their goody bags along with a disco ball.  The ideas...they don't stop!

Then we tried to decide how many kids and do we invite her class of 24 kids?  She already has, just not with an official invitation.  We have 47 kids on the list.  Granted, not all of them will come, but that's still quite a few kids.  Some parents my just drop them off!

How do you entertain possibly 47 kids for 90 minutes?  You do a carnival.  Thanks to Martha Stewart, who has already done a carnival theme, and Oriental Trading, all I have to do is implement!

This past week, we made 46 of these:

There's a ticket or tickets attached to the clothespin, depending on how many kids from that house is invited. 

I have to honestly say, this is the most kids we've ever had on the list, but it's been the easiest party to do.  I've even recruited some people to be carnies for each of the booths.

When you turn a whole hand, you either go big or go home right?