Leila's Birthday Party

I spent the whole of last weekend getting ready for, having, and recovering from Leila's party. On Saturday she got a package from Aunt Katherine and family. I took the brown wrapping off and put it on the table. She didn't seem to really notice it, but a few hours later she brought in a lego (What are big legos called?) box of Dora the explorer. It took me a minute, and then I realized that she had taken her present off the table and unwrapped it herself. I guess she knew it was hers. She was really happy with it.
On Saturday morning she and I went to a toy store and got some party favor things- we also got materials to make butterflies. Of course she fell asleep in the car on the way home, and then woke up when Dad put her into bed, so I didn't get time to do everything I needed to do while she was sleeping. But, she sat and played with play doh and then the Dora legos so I managed to get stuff done.
On Sunday I was very relaxed knowing that Alba and Astrid and Scott and Tony were coming over early to help. Leila was fussy around noon, so I put her down for a nap, thinking I'd get things done, but about 1/2 hour later she was back. She played while I worked. The guys helped pick up the mess that Leila had made of the living room (Habib had cleaned it the day before) and they were in charge of the bubbles. I got a recipe off the internet: 6 parts water, 2 parts liquid soap, and 3/4 parts corn syrup. It worked really well with some wands I got from the toy store. It's pretty gooey stuff though. My plan was to make play doh, but I just wasn't up to it. Luckily the weather was nice, and it didn't rain as predicted. We spent the first part of the party outside with healthy snacks on the table like carrot sticks, broccoli and hummus. Luckily I asked the guys to get some chips because they were all eaten. There was also fruit, and no sugar punch. I mixed juice and sparkling water, but I think the water had some sort of sugar substitute in it. Oops. I had face paints, so Julie helped the kids paint up, and there were the swings of course. We also made the butterflies. Leila couldn't really sit still for it, and just walked all over the supplies. I think she didn't quite know what to do with most of her favorite people in one place.
We went inside for cake and ice-cream and presents. It was getting cloudy and I thought it might rain, but it never did. The living room was pretty full- Kamel and Hanen and the girls, Arwa and her girls, Curren and Angela, Paul, Julie and Brianna, Juan, Gretchen and Ben, Jeana, Scott, Tony, Alba, Astrid and Laura and Lewis were the guests. Leila calls Lewis something that sounds like horse, or Lucy. I'd made two cakes- Grandma's chocolate mocha cake recipe, and a yellow mix doctored with orange juice and cardamom. I shaped one into a butterfly and the other into a flower, and then decorated some cupcakes alongside, all in pink, purple and yellow and using only ziploc bags! I was pretty proud of myself! Leila only stuck her fingers in a couple of times as she watched me decorate. Scott had to help Leila blow out the candles because she just can't do it yet. Afterward we did presents. After opening the first one, I told her to thank whoever gave it to her, and she went around to everyone hugging, kissing and saying goodbye. She said "goodbye people" as though having gotten the presents, the party was over. She got lots of books! Yeah. I enjoyed watching her open gifts. The rest of the party I didn't get to watch her too much as I was hostessing.
I think the party was pretty fun. The Tunisians didn't leave for quite a while afterward, but they helped clean up a little. Alba and Astrid not only helped me get ready, Alba washed the dishes and mopped the floor before she left. They've offered to come over and help out after the baby is born, too, and I say yes. Habib really enjoyed them. I ordered pizza and went to bed pretty early.
Leila's been so bad about naps lately. Yesterday she didn't take one. Then about 8, she climbed into my lap because her tummy was hurting her (I think) and a few minutes later she was asleep. Habib changed her diaper and put her in bed and she still didn't wake up.