Hughes News: 3 Ring Circus

My baby girl is THREE!!!! I can't believe it. Where have 3 years gone??

So all who know me know that I LOVE planning these kiddos' birthday parties. It is not a chore for me, I don't feel pressured to do it, I truly live for it. Like think about it for months in advance.

So for this elephant lovin' little girl, we did a 3 Ring Circus theme for her 3rd birthday and we had a TON of fun! :)

And like always, I will share too many details and too many pictures because, let's face it, I can't help it! This time it's my pictures (and Ryan's) plus Papaw's pictures. I asked Papaw to be my "Second Shooter" (haha!) for taking turns with me at the Photo Booth and walking around getting action shots. I'm so glad! We both got pictures the other did not!

The kiddos testing out the Photo Booth before the party:

Everyone had to go through the "tent" entrance to the Hughes' Big Top:

My mom always says when I pick a theme, it's like Manna from Heaven for all the goodies I find for so cheap. It's so true. I really think the Lord knows how much I love doing this and He gives us the desires of our heart! So randomly one day while I was in AmVets (like Goodwill), I look up and see this 1987 Circus program for $.25. I seriously do the happy dance in the aisles when I find this stuff, y'all. So I cut it all apart and used the pictures all over the house as decoration.

Peanut nametags for the party guests:

Henley's amazing custom-made invitation:

I always decorate with Library books and pictures and love leaving it up for a week! That is sweet Henley dressed as a clown next to the clown book. Precious girl.

Those streamers--love them! It took us TWO HOURS to hang them. I had no idea when we started how tedious it would be, but I love how it turned out! Like a circus tent!

Because each game had a prize, I gathered colored gift bags we already had (yes, I am cheap) and let the kiddos decorate them with Circus themed stamps and stickers:

Our neighbor Emily (also an elephant lover) had a Circus birthday party earlier this year, so her family let me borrow SO MUCH that I didn't have to buy much! I wanted it to feel carnival-ish so we had games all over the yard with these prizes those kiddos "won" that they collected in their treat bag:

(I must point out the Lollipaws footprint lollipop and elephant taffy--thank you, Big Lots!)

And close up of the tags: "Thanks a 'ton' for coming to my party!" I crack myself up, people.

Speaking of cracking myself up, can you believe I did this? Yes, I did. Another Consignment Sale find--Youth Large. I am such a dork.

My absolute favorite game: Pin the Tail on the Elephant

(And notice the signs that match the invitation!)

I asked each grandparent and our neighbors the Eadys to man each station. They were such a huge help! I think Nani had more fun than the kids...

This was one of my favorite prizes at this game--animal masks!

Toss the Cans with Laney

I don't have a close up picture but the cans are all animals--including a purple elephant for Miss Henley!

Ball Toss with Pop

Animal Bowling with Gram

Found these at a Consignment Sale and they seriously crack me up!

The Hamiltons--Maddie loved the games!

And Bryson loved the animals. :)

Face Painting with Aunt Amanda and Abbey

My favorite--Ryan the Ringmaster got a mustache!

Balloon Animals with Ryan the Ringmaster and Gabe the Great:

I must point out that my amazing husband saw this balloon animal kit at Wal-Mart for $5, and he practiced for 2 hours when we got home. Seriously. Without me asking him to do it. So this wasn't part of the original plan but he got so good at it that we had to do it at the party!

And Uncle Cole got in on the balloon animals, too!

I think my favorite part of the party was the group parachute time. Henley is in Kindermusik again this Fall, so I casually asked her teacher this week if we could borrow the parachute. I really assumed she would say no, and she said yes!!

We play games in Kindermusik where we shake the parachute and have to keep the balls from falling off, so I gathered all of Henley's elephants and we had to keep the elephants from falling off:

I called out each kiddos' name and each one got to run under the parachute. It really was so fun and they seriously loved it!

And obviously I did too. :)

Then the boys gave up and the girls had a blast playing underneath:

Then it was time for lunch @ The Concession Stand!

Oh Goodwill, my parties would not be as fun without you.

This is an official Ringling Bros Circus cup!

Our menu included Corndogs, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Peanuts, Circus Peanuts...

...and my favorite! A veggie and fruit clown:

Our entire family helps out SO MUCH before, during, and after my crazy themed parties. Uncle Cole helped man the popcorn maker:

How awesome is this thing? Aunt Amanda got it for her birthday last year and told me I must plan a party to use it. Check! :)

Aunt Amanda hard at work as usual during these parties!

This is one of my favorite finds from Hobby Lobby:

Aren't they hilarious!?

These stinkers peeled all the breading off their corndogs and just ate the hot dogs!

Our neighbor Beth enjoying her Cotton Candy:

I went out that morning to get this Cotton Candy fresh from a gas station a mile away from our house and it started melting!! So so sad. But obviously was still yummy.

Of course Aunt Amanda made amazing cupcakes (with fresh strawberry icing, let me add) with circus animals and clowns out of fondant on top. And I love my circus tent cupcake stand from eBay!

An elephant cupcake for the birthday girl:

Present Time!

I love this picture because it shows how much other kiddos love seeing what the present are as much as the birthday girl!

Photo Booth

Because there are so many, I saved the best for last--the Photo Booth Pictures! I had props for everyone to choose from and I love how the pictures turned out!

Before everyone left, Laney grabbed the elephant mask and gave out Elephant Rides! The girls lined up and loved it.

Then I had an official Ringling Brothers coloring book from 1984 (another $.25 Goodwill find!) for the girls to color:

THESE KIDS. I cannot say enough about how much I love them. They even had a uniform--their church camp shirts from this summer with a Circus theme of "The Greatest Known on Earth." They are always so eager to help in any way and I cannot imagine our lives without them! Thank you, Eadys!