Roller Skating Party Palooza

A few months ago, the girls got the roller skating bug when they borrowed the neighbor girls' roller skates.  Since then, it's been all roller skates, all the time.  With their birthdays coming up, I knew just what to get them.  

A lizard.

Just kidding!  Roller skates, of course!

Emma requested roller blades, while Addie requested pink roller skates.  

The plot thickened when they got the idea to have a roller skating birthday party.  It seemed like a great solution to their new infatuation with skating.  

So like any mom who grew up in Colorado, my mind went straight to Skate City.  Is Skate City still in business?  Why, yes it is!  Is it still a little dirty, creepy and are the doors still covered in orange carpet?  Yes, yes, and yes!  I guess some things never change.

Reluctantly, I scheduled their joint birthday party.  Reluctant because:

1.  I suspected it might get chaotic.

2.  The numbers!  They kept adding more people to the list.  Yikes!  Which leads me to...

3.  The cost!  Okay, it's pretty reasonable, especially when the trade off is not having the mess and chaos at your own home.

4.  Um, it's Skate City.  Carpeted doors.  

5.  I didn't feel like it was very creative.  I have a thing for creative parties.  This wouldn't exercise my need for creativity.

But, then I remembered the part about the no mess at my house and the part about not having to get my house perfectly clean and the part about how much the girls wanted a skating party and I was sold.  Oh yeah, and the part about how when I was younger I secretly wanted to compete in the Olympics with my rollerskating skillz.  I practiced my routines for hours in the street in front of my house.  And then I found out rollerskating is not an Olympic event.  I was crushed.

But back to the party...

I was right about one thing:  CHAOS.

But it was fun.  The girls would never describe it as chaotic, they'd only describe it as the most awesome party ever.  But I learned a few things:

1.  I'd probably meet all the kids/parents outside first, because our table wasn't ready when they told us to arrive and it was totally chaotic getting all the parents/kids on the same page about where to go.  And we were clueless, so that didn't help.  

2.  I wouldn't do a skating party again for kids under 8... and even that's pushing it.  My girls are crazy and adventurous and can skate, and I somehow forgot that that isn't the norm.  Kids were clinging to walls and falling constantly.  Oops.  I think they still had fun though.  I didn't get a single complaint from moms who willingly strapped on the skates, that's for sure!  

3.  I will brace myself for the chaos next time because WHOA I didn't know what hit me.

4.  A combined party for the girls (whose birthdays are 2 weeks apart) is not a great idea when they invite so many friends.  Our rule of inviting as many kids as you are old is a good one.  Why didn't we stick to it this time?!?  It was too many kids to keep track of at Skate City.  I'm so glad some parents stuck around.

5.  Did I mention the chaos?    

But, it really was fun.  The girls were all smiles.  

And I couldn't help myself, and I did find a way to get creative.  

First, I made them special shirts to wear to the party.  I appliqued a fun little thing for each of them.  Addie's is a 6 on wheels, and Emma's said "SK8" - and they loved them!  I didn't have time to stitch around the design though, because I literally did these an hour before the party.  Creative, yes.  Planner, no.

For party favors, we made these dipped, candy-coated pretzels with a little tag that read, "I'm wheelie glad you came to my party."

I have about 51 1/2 weeks to plan the next party (I do things last-minute, remember?), but I'm thinking it won't involve wheels, disco lights or carpeted doors.  

Happy birthday, sweet girls!