Children's Party Planning

My daughter has just turned one last week. And the image in my head for her first celebration was, a nice small tea party with a few friends and family (quote the FEW). Pound land fairy paper plates, table cover and cutlery, including matching party bags and favours. I wanted to make a number 1 shaped Victoria sponge, with pink icing and a Minnie mouse sugar paper face in the middle.
Seems planning a simple tea party is not as simple as I had thought….
Don’t get me wrong the party went ok an the day was lovely. But it was a major headache and stress overload! Here’s why;
So a week before the party, invites were sent by post and a event facebook page was made. All details including were,and when.
Spoken to other halfs side of the family, mother in law was coming, (fine), with her sister and two daughter in laws, (again fine.).
My daughters 2 baby friends and parents, my mum and her two children, my auntie, her partner and daughter and my nan and grandad.
Seems enough!
So I went along to the favourable 99p store! Collected my lovely fairy paper plates, table cover, cutlery, party bags, party favours and thank you cards. All to match might I say!
Each party bag had their own personal touch.
Party food was ready, mini cakes, biscuits and baby crisps and juice.
On the day I cooked BBQ chicken with rice for the adults.
I had baked two number 1 shaped cakes, sandwiched them between jam and cream (hand whipped for at least 1 hour with a dodgy whisk), covered in baby pink icing. To my horror it looked like I had made a fat pink W***y!! I tried desperately to smooth all the edges and corners! I decorated it with rice paper butterflies and a Minnie Mouse face and hoped for the best!!
Few days before the party I had cancellation’s which is expected as illnesses in baby’s do appear out of no where. So no problem just a few party bag arrangements and same with my hand made pass the parcel.
On the actual day I was up and ready, had the house sparkling clean, I was waiting for my mum to come early on the train to help me with preparations, my mother in law turned up first and helped me cook the chicken and watch my daughter as I picked up my mum from the station. As I was leaving all my guests turned up! There was a massive diversion to get in to the station! Which made me over 1 hour late for my own party. I was really peeved by then. Got back greeted all my guests, served up food but then ran out of food for the adults…. and straight after people had finished eating, my mother in laws two sisters come wither her two daughter in laws and two children each plus cousins come too! I had to run to Sainsburys to buy more chicken and potatoes. We played pass the parcel with half the kids running around and not sitting…. then we blew out my daughters birthday cake candle and sang happy birthday, half in English and half in Turkish! (lo dad is from Turkey.).
I placed out all the finger food and nibbles to watch the kids run and rub it in to my carpets and throw juice up the walls!
Party bags were given to parents and children, and the party favours where played with and my floors were soapy from party bubbles!
Dropped my mum and her two children back to the station to go home. Come home and the other half’s side of the family were still here, it was much more relaxed by then, but I was still on edge as I had no table or chairs for anyone to sit on, only a coffee table to sit around. (just moved house.)
Then my daughter was cleaned and put to bed, drifted away in to what seemed a very happy sleep. I then had to drop off my mother in law and her sister and her daughter in law plus children home to London! All to the enjoyment of my partner who can’t yet drive.
All  family dropped home safely, I came home, did some cleaning and to find my mother in law had chucked out half of the stuff from my kitchen as she thought it was cluttering things up. In Turkish they call it “Kalabalik.”
When I went to bed that night my feet were zinging and I didn’t remember  anything till the morning, where I was in a state of shock to see so many toys and clothes in the corner!
Oh the joy of children’s PARTY’S! Never what you plan or imagine, but just as fun anyway!