Double Digits...

Our sweet 'little' Livi-Bean officially turned double digits this year!  Hard to believe that we're here already.  I remember so well being blessed with this baby.  She will always be cherished.  Enough mush...on to the party!  Well, if you read my earlier posts you'll know that we were in Oregon during her actual Birthday.  Being that she's a late summer baby, it's hard to get friends to attend her party.  Lots of people are still on vacation and unable to come.  We've tried doing it in June, before the school year lets out, we've tried just church friends, we've done small parties, we've done it all.  This year we waited until school was back in and had a very well attended party!  There were 4 friends that couldn't make, but 7 that could!  Livi and I talked about where she wanted her party, when, and what theme.  She remembered her cousins, Emily & Julianna, having a movie-night themed party and decided that's the theme she wanted.  I was so proud of Olivia.  She did all the decorating and most of the prep work.  She made my job easy, especially when she requested vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing.  Here I thought I was going to have to make a movie reel shaped cake! (don't think I didn't google it people!) 
We started by stamping 80 'tickets' to divide amongst the girls.  When each girl arrived, in her pj's as requested, she received a bag of tickets.  From there on in they had to use their tickets to 'buy' their movie, pizza, concession and b-day cake.  I joked with them that they'd better save tickets in case they needed to use the bathroom.
The party was a roaring success.  The girls loved the decor, the theme, the slide-across-the-floor-in-your-sleeping-bag-eat-a-marshmallow-and-slide-back game that we played.  Olivia chose Camp Rock 2 for her movie selection.  The girls watched half the movie, then had an 'intermission' to play games, eat cake and open gifts, then the concession stand opened and they went back to the movies.  The second half of the movie turned into an impromptu dance party.  Yes, it's true, I had to use all my restraint not to join in and show them how it's done.  I need to maintain my 'cool mom' status and that would've blown it.
All in all a great evening.  No, no sleepover.  I'm just not that brave yet.  Wishing you a wonderful year ahead Olivia, you are such a ray of sunshine in this home!
P.S...just so it's on record Livi, we measured you the other day, and as of your 10th birthday you are officially 4'11". Unbelievable.