Helena's Birthday Bash

Last Saturday 15 of Helena's closest friends came over to help her celebrate the fact that she is now 16. Including Helena, that was 16 teenagers in the house! (No, Will wasn't there) The number coinciding with her age was accidental, not deliberate; she invited 19 people, but four couldn't make it.

I spent the entire week preceding the party baking my brains out! We decided that making gingerbread houses would be a very season-appropriate party activity, so I baked enough gingerbread to make one basic house kit per invited guest! In the collage, you can see the table spread out before and after the kids built their houses. They had a BLAST! They were definitely crowded, though! The table really only seats 8. Every chair had two teenagers sharing a seat.

That many kids in such a small space really heated up the house! We had to open windows to cool it down inside, despite the frigid temperatures outside!

So, here is a run down of party activities:

Dining room - Gingerbread houses
Living room - Dance, Dance Revolution dance off on the XBox (we have two dance pads)
Kitchen - FOOD! Homemade chili (spicy and mild choices), hot dogs, and a hot cocoa bar with yummy mix ins.
Family room - group games, cookies and soda

As you can see, the party ranged over the entire house. Bill and Will beat a hasty retreat and spent most of the party time out at a shooting range and dinner.

Kirsten and Paul came over for part of the party. Paul helped me by cooking the dogs on the grill. He doesn't think it was any big deal, but it allowed me to monitor the front door (since not all party guests had arrived yet) and allowed Helena to keep entertaining those guests that had already arrived. Super cool!

The kids all loved our house, especially the kids' bathroom, for some reason. Helena said they (mostly the girls) gushed over it.

Dance, Dance was a HOOT! One of Helena's friends, Kristen, just LOVES that game. She was hyper into it, if you know what I mean. Blake had never played it before, but was game to try it, and that was the funniest of all! (Yes, I know funniest isn't really a word) Then baby Tori wanted to try it after watching the teenagers do it for a while. That gave Blake the chance to finally beat someone at the game, even if that someone was only 15 months old!

The party lasted for 5 hours and never felt like it was dragging. Everyone left at the appropriate moment, and my dining room table is still covered with gingerbread building supplies!

Now I am looking forward to Will's 16th bash in 2 1/2 years! His will be super awesome because it is in the end of May! OUTDOOR PARTY! WOOT! WOOT!