All Aboard the Andrew Birthday Express!

So, Saturday we had a birthday party for Andrew. He was very adamant that he wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine party, so that is what we did.

I sent out "boarding passes" for invitations:

When the 10 kids got there, they followed the tracks
to a table to color until everybody got there and then we got a "package" from Sir Topham Hatt that told the kids he needed their help. So we followed his instructions and the tracks out to Cranky the crane (we had made a cranky out of boxes). He had lost some packages, so the kids had to fish them out--we had a fishing pond type of thing, then we headed down the tracks to where Toby and a Troublesome Truck were sitting and the kids had to throw the coal that the TT had spilled back into the TT. The kids loved that one. Then on to James surrounded by steam (white balloons). The kids popped the balloons, then through a tunnel, and to the mountains and snow.
John dumped some packing peanuts on them and they looked for their prizes in the "snow" and played around in that for a while. Then cake and ice cream and playing outside for a few minutes and then presents.

The kids had a great time, Andrew loved it.

Now, the behind-the-scenes story. I tried to do too much, ran out of time so it wasn't exactly how I pictured it, the cake was a disaster and fell over before the kids got there after I had spent about 4-5 hours on it, I was in tears, I hadn't asked for anyone to stay and help with the party but my friend Amber and my sis-in-law stayed just because and saved the day. I hadn't slept for days because I was trying to get everything put together and can never just do the simple, easy way. I seem to have a knack for making things as hard as I possibly can! John was a trooper and helped me pull it together before everybody got there ;-)

This may have been my first and my last birthday party. But, if it's anything like having a baby, I'll forget all the pain in a few weeks and will go ahead and have another one!

Here are some pictures worth noting...

We all moved on to the next place and Natalie stayed behind to stuff as much candy in her mouth as she possibly could. She did it quietly and efficiently and if the wind had not blown the sheet forward we may never have caught her in the act. I also love that she looks like a street urchin. That's how crazy the morning was. No time even to get her ready for the day!
And of course, the cake. I didn't even bother trying to finish it because it was on it's way over. John fortified the sides with books and then held it together long enough for Andrew to blow out the candles and then CRASH! For the record, I did make the face out of fondant.