It's Birthday Season

Birthday season for us is the end of August. It all starts next Sunday the 21st with Kate, then two days later it's me, then 7 days later it's Ethan. Yes, that's 3 birthdays within 9 days. That makes for one very busy, and expensive month! If the kids would have been born on their due dates we would have had all 3 birthdays within 5 days, so I guess I'll count my blessings. Needless to say by the time September rolls around we are all caked out.( if you click on the pictures you can see the them all bigger and better )

We have decided in our family to do a "friend" party every other year. Last year was supposed to be the year of the friend party but with a new baby, a cross country move, and not knowing anybody here we didn't do that. So... it's been 3 years since Ethan had a party so we figured it was about time to do it up right.

Ethan is very into Harry Potter these, days not unlike a lot of people. He is currently nearly the end of book #4 and loving all of them. I can't even count how many times he has checked out the HP movies from the library this season.( Just through 3, we told he has to wait until he's older to see the others, which he thinks is SO unfair) We thought that given his love of all things Harry Potter it was only fitting to throw him a Harry Potter birthday party. Thanks to my new obsession, pinterest, I've gathered some great ideas and we started things off this weekend with his invitations.

see exhibit A:


I originally wanted to just make a scroll for his invite and tie it to an "owl" but Ethan informed me that Harry in fact received letters to Hogwarts, NOT a scroll...my bad.
Here is the invitation itself. We were going for an old "Maurader's Map" type thing. I think they turned out really well. Below is what the invite actually says:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

26a Walnut Street, Summit NJ 07901

Reagan Hymas Closet Under the Attic, Second Floor 344 Park Ave., Berkeley Heights , NJ

Dear Sir,

We are pleased to accept you to the Hogwarts School of Wizardry. A special
term will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2011 in celebration of Grand Sorcerer
and Supreme Celebrant of His Ninth Birthday Ethan Wilson.

Prof. Severus Snape teaching Potions, Prof. Rubeus Hagrid teaching
Care of Magical Creatures, and Wand Making. Classes will begin at precisely 2 of the clock and will end promptly at 4.

Please R.S.V.P. by owl no later than 20 August 2011
(or use your muggle phone to call 801-404-2143)

Yours Sincerely,
Ashli Wilson
Deputy Headmistress

It's formatting weird here, but that's what it read with the hogwarts seal at the top.

Then we sealed them with red wax (crayon) and put a letter "H" stamp on it for Hogwarts

Then we drew owls on a white helium balloon to and attached one to each envelope to deliver. You can see in the top picture what it looked like altogether.

It was so fun to deliver each of them and see how excited the kids were about receiving it.

You can imagine our surprise when this afternoon after church our door bell rang and on our door step was this box with a scroll in it. It had apparently come by "owl" and informed us that they would be honored to attend etc. It was addressed to Grand Sorcerer Ethan. If you noticed in the invited they were told to RSVP by Owl or by "muggle" phone. Never in a million years would i have thought someone would be so clever with their response.


Needless to say we are getting all excited around here for the party. We have ordered our frog molds so we can make our chocolate frogs and will have botts beans and cauldron cakes and the like.

For a special gift on Ethan's actual birthday, Rand is taking Ethan and Anna into Manhattan to see the Harry Potter exhibit. They have real sets and all the actual costumes from the movies. We've heard from others that it's great. I think the kids will think it's awesome, in fact I wish I was going!