06 July 2010

Let the Picture Come Alive!

Every now and then, I go totally overboard when planning a birthday party!  This year I did it with Andrew’s Birthday party, since the theme made it so easy!
Andrew (David and Daniel too) absolutely loves Walt Disney’s movie, UP.  So we decided to let the picture come alive through his birthday party!  
The excitement already started when we delivered the invitations. It was printed on a house silhouette and 2 to 3 party helium filled balloons attached to the invitation. We just had to make sure every time we got out of the car with the invitation, that it didn’t “fly UP” and away before they saw the invitation!  

CJ designed a polystyrene house and painted it just like Mr. Fredricksen’s house!  We planned to attach party-gas filled balloons to the house and let it float in the air, during the party.

The whole time while big brother CJ was building the house, the little ones were by his side following every detail.

I don’t know who enjoyed it the most, CJ painting the house and giving attention to every detail or 


Andrew who couldn’t contain his excitement while watching. 

With the leftover polystyrene we made little houses for each friend who would attend the party! We planned to tie a party balloon to the roof of each little house, as a thank you gift.
On Friday we made the cake.  It would also be Mr. Fredricksen’s house. 

Heidi-Mari and I baked two flat cakes and CJ made the structure out of polystyrene, covered with foil. 

Then the long hours of decorating the cake started.

CJ and Heidi-Mari arranging little water balloons (filled with air!) out of the chocolate chimney, to give the cake the look of Mr. Fredricksen’s house going up with all the balloons. They attached the water balloons to florist wire. 


They had lots of fun while doing it!

Heidi-Mari and Josua decorating the tree - always a delicious favourate with the cake!

The finished cake - Mr Fredricksen’s balloon house and the tree.

The party would be 14h30 Saturday afternoon and by 13h00 Christo, CJ and Andrew arrived with 50 party balloons!

Christo and CJ attaching the balloons to the polystyrene house.  We thought about 30 balloons would be enough to lift the house, but it was only after all 50 balloons were attached and the front porch floor was cut out, 

that we had lift off!

We anchored the balloon house with a string to the ground, in our front yard.

The little houses with a party balloon. 


One balloon wasn’t able to lift the little house!

After all the party friends had left, we attached 10 balloons to a little house and “flew” it with a string.

All the children had a ball taking turns to play with the house in the wind!

And then it happened...

The string came undone from the polystyrene house and UP it went - over the street into the neighbor's yard, but very quickly out of reach, over the shrubs...

and over the roof tops!
For a moment there was total pandemonium, then my concern turned to joy as I watched Andrew’s face. 


He was OVERJOYED as the little house went....UP!
A little face in total amazement. The story had come alive for him!  He couldn’t believe his own little eyes!  It really happened.  


Mr. Fredricksen’s house was going up, up, up! Wow!  

Everyone had a sigh of relief and enjoyed the moment. This was the perfect ending for a perfect party!  An adventure in itself! 

The only thing still to be done, was to open the presents!

And playing with the left over balloons!


Thank you Lord, this was truly a memory making party - for all of us!

13 comments:

Huisvrou said...

Kry ek nou trane in my oë. Dis pragtig Linnie. Ag hulle maak alles dubbel en dwars die moeite werd.
Groetnis

AutumnVine said...

Pragtig, Linnie. Ek wens daardie inspirasies en kuns wil na my toe ook kom. Jy het dit so mooi gemaak. Ja, mens kan net dankie Vader sê as so iets moois voor jou kinders gebeur. Sien uit na wat die ander partytjies bring. Esther

Linnie said...

Dankie Marelize en Esther.
Hierdie naweek word my dogter dertien! Nie 'n vervelige oomblik!
Liefdegroete

Joyfulmama said...

Ag Linnie dis PRAGTIG!!! Ek het ook trane in my oe gekry toe daai huisie so oor die dakke verdwyn en sy gesiggie straal van absolute verwondering! Baie dankie dat jy die ervaring gedeel het. Ek het my seunskindjie se eerste verjaardagpartytjie oor twee weke en klim nou sommer met nuwe ywer in om dit onvergeetlik te maak!

Linnie said...

Grietjie
Maak daardie 1ste verjaardag onvergeetlik! Al is hul net 1jr oud, het elkeen van my klein mensies die dag sooo geniet!
Liegdegroete

Petra said...

Pragtige koek julle! Lyk my die weer het darem ook baie mooi saamgespeel! En ek stem, daai gesiggie maak darem net die dag die moeite werd.

Merinda said...

Hi Linnie
Dit was nou so 'n Treat om te lees van Andrew se 'Up'partytjie :-), Ek geniet dit altyd om jou Blog te lees, maar die een het vir lank die glimlag op my gesig laat bly... Dankie vir deel julle kleurvolle lewe met ons, dis so lekker om deel daarvan te wees. Ek 'comment' nie baie nie, maar ek loop die pad saam. Lief jou en waardeer jou... Jy is so 'n inspirasie...
(Ek dink die Here geniet julle partytjies netso baie soos jou kinders :-))

Linnie said...

Ag hoe heerlik om te sien Petra EN Marinda kuier in een dag op my blog! Dankie my spesiale Vriendinne
Mis julle! Baie liefde
Linnie

Merinda said...

Mis jou ook Linnie! Mens kan sien ek is 'n groentjie met die blog-comments, ek dog my 'comment het in die lug verdwyn, nou kry jy sommer 2 comments, en dit op een dag. DIt gaan voorwaar sneeu :-)

Sonja said...

Ai,Linnie dit is pragtig! Wat n mooi einde vir n pragtige dag!! Die hele idee is so oorspronklik en goed uitgedink!

Anonymous said...

Wow Linnie! Wat 'n pragtige storie met uitstekende fotos om dit vir ons almal 'real' te maak! Dis vir my so lekker om julle doene en late te volg! Dit verstom my hoe jy tyd maak om vir jou kinders so special partytjies te gooi! Dit lyk soos pret hoe almal help! Dis seker die voordeel van tuis-skool: saam werk en saam speel!
Baie liefde en gelukwense! Janet K

Niki said...

This is a real tear jerker post! So amazing....hmmm, I wonder if I can come close to copying for one of my little ones one year! It's a tall order! Well done on all your hard work!

Linnie said...

Thank you, Niki.
You will see as soon as you start planning, everything fall in place with the most amazing ideas.
Thank you for stopping by.

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