Jacob celebrated his sixth birthday with a special gift–a trip to Santa Monica Pier funzone with Grammie and OT. He came home bubbling with excitement after such a special day, and a little power nap on the drive home. 🙂
What a special day for this guy!!
My little Jacob is a huge Harry Potter fan, and of course, so am I, so it only made sense to transform our new house in Hogwarts for his birthday party this year. We held the party a month early, so that it could occur before my mom’s back surgery, but I can tell you that, as busy as I am this week with Christmas/school/life, I couldn’t imagine hosting a party of this magnitude this weekend!
This party was not only adorable, but SO much fun! We went crazy with Hogwarts details and tried to be as authentic as possible.
A wonderful party guest took all of the fun action shots, for which I am eternally grateful (thank you, Thomas O.!)
We had pumpkin juice and butter beer (both delicious!), as well as pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs, because no trip to Hogwarts is complete without them. There were gold-rimmed goblets for drinking, and miniature cauldrons of veggies and ranch dressing for snacking.
We sorted the kids as they entered. I would place the sorting hat on the child’s head and have her close her eyes and draw a rubber bracelet from a cauldron. The bracelets were Harry Potter houses, and that was the house one was sorted into. Then each child got a corresponding tie, picked a wand, and made a quill. We had quidditch hoops, made by my dad, for the kids to hit balloons through. A Voldemort piñata was destroyed by our brave wizards and witches, and then we settled in to watch Jacob’s sixth birthday slideshow (that link is coming!)
I made these Bertie Boots containers from a free printable online.
The windows are lamination plastic!
A simple and quick craft.
The monster book of monsters cake!
Pumpkin pasties. Yum.
The Tri-Wizard Cup? From my parents’ house.
Our flying keys. So pretty!
One has a bent wing, for authenticity’s sake.
I stuck these on all the walls.
Our sorting hat and cauldron for sorting.
Inside the house, you’re at platform 9 3/4.
After sorting, the kids got a house tie…
…and picked a wand, made with chopsticks, string, and hot glue.
Bookmark favors, found online and laminated.
Make-a-quill station.
As you approach the house, you are transported to Kings Cross Station in London.
The invitation told guests to run straight at the pillar between platforms nine and ten. Our pillar would transport you inside to Platform 9 3/4.
My cousin Charlotte made these darling cookies!
Alisha made this CUTEST cake topper ever!!!
Floating candles do not photograph well.
But they were so cool!! I spent a lot of time converting toilet paper and paper towel rolls into these candles with hot glue, and THREE cans of spray paint!
We even flew a Union Jack for the occasion.
By the end of the night, some of our photos had fallen. Pro tip: Command strips?
Follow the spiders, Ron!
Don’t pay any attention to the pajama-clad photographer. 😉
Hogwarts bathroom had to include Moaning Myrtle.
On Friday, we were treated to some seasonal songs by the Kindergarteners, first- and second-graders at Jacob’s school. It was just adorable! Jacob scanned the audience for us, and when he saw me, Grammie, Daddy and Jackie, his face lit up and he was all dimples. 🙂
If the video above doesn’t load, here are two smaller clips:
Jacob’s class baked pumpkin pies! 
Jackson the daredevil, climbing on and jumping off of everything in sight!
Yesterday was the boys’ second baptism birthday. We marked the occasion with candles in chocolate chip cookies, and set out some pictures and mementos.
Josh and Korey 