Mix-it-Up Monday: Birthday Party

I am the kind of person that composes all these FABULOUS blog posts in my head...and then promptly forgets them as soon as I sit down to the computer.

So BELIEVE ME, I had a bunch of amazing and witty things ready to write. They were all phrased perfectly and would have rocked your socks. Except that I couldn't get them out of my head and into the computer before they disappeared. (Once your kids grow up, do you get your brain back?)

Just use your imagination and I'm sure this will turn out great...

Last week we painted planets...here's what it looked like:

Getting Started

Works in Progress

This is what Liam did while we painted

Mostly done

They are now in the garage with some layers of clear coat added. Once they all dry, I'll put up another picture of them in their final resting place - on the girls' bedroom ceiling.

What we learned:

• This should be common sense, but cover EVERYTHING. Especially if you have a younger child participating. McKenna did okay, but Alyssa got paint on the kitchen chair. RED paint. Thankfully Matt got paint that came off fairly easily.
• We got wooden balls instead of Styrofoam. If you do this, drill a hole in them before trying to screw in the little eye-hooks. The wood is too hard for eye-hooks this small and the tips just end up twisting off.
• Have something that can hold the ball while you paint and while the paint dries. Matt used to paint miniature statues, so he had a lot of do-dads that helped with this. The larger balls had a small flat spot on top, so if you weren't able to find anything you could set them on this for most of the painting.
• Glow in the Dark paint makes them even more fun. After the kids finished painting the main part of the planets, we went back and touched them all up with glow in the dark paint. It will make them a little more entertaining, especially since they will be hanging from the ceiling in their room.

This has a been a really fun way to teach the kids more about the solar system. It has helped them to recognize each planet by the color and size and to know their proper order.
Thanks to my awesome hubby for coming up with such a great idea.

This week's activity: a BIRTHDAY PARTY. (Have I mentioned how much I hate parties?) This is a big deal for us, we've never really done one before and we actually have cousins coming this time. We have a lot to get ready, so I'm going to have the kids help me out with all the little things we need to do. Hopefully after helping pitch in with the work, they'll appreciate the party a little more!