Making a Spiderman Party SPECTACULAR

Lest you think this is one of those high-budget, grandeous party how-tos, where I hire a real Spiderman to come visit our party who comes carrying a three-tiered birthday cake with a Spiderman action scene taking place atop the cake, this is NOT THAT KIND OF POST! This is a little recap of the Spectacular and Not-so-Spectacular parts of our Spiderman Party!

1.) Spectacular: Decorating Yaks' doorway the night before with a crepe paper Spiderweb, complete with a Spiderman in the middle, saying, "Happy Birthday, Yaks!"
Not-so-Spectacular: Spending the entire day trying to keep Diddles from destroying it.



2.) Spectacular: Taking the yearly "I am ___ today!" pictures on an uncluttered couch with hair combed, handsome clothes that match.
3.) Spectacular: Delivered gift from Nana & Papa - perfect timing!

4.) Spectacular: Birthday Boy Special Request Dinner of salmon, Top Ramen, rolls, "and carrots for the venchtable."

Not-so-spectacular: Cleaning up Diddles' tray afterwards.

5.) Spectacular- party games: a.) Pin the Spiderman on the Web

I blind-folded Boo, spun her around and sent her walking toward the web. She got to the window, then quickly lifted her arm six inches - amazingly sticking her Spiderman right in the middle of the web! It must have been her amazing "Spidey-sense".

b.) Web-Slinging Bad Guys - thanks to the sticky-hands I found in the gumball machines for $.50 each.

They had a lot of fun with those sticky-hands!

Spectacular - This t-shirt pictured (his uniform). Yaks loves it, and would wear it every day if I let him. He changed into it minutes after I took his handsome pictures. Not-so-Spectacular - I didn't realize how DIRTY it was! Well, I guess on your birthday you get to wear the shirt you love, even if it's dirty...

c.) Spidey-Webs - Four cans of Silly String = four minutes of Spectacular chaos and fun (mess)!

Not-so-Spectacular - The cleanup, which lasted 10 minutes!

5.) A not-so-spectacular cake, which I outsourced to the store bakery, because decorating with black and red and blue frostings seemed beyond my ability. Turns out, I probably could have done a more spectacular job. Oh well, the kids LOVED it.
6.) Not-so-Spectacular - Yaks got so excited and blew out the candles just as we STARTED the birthday song.
Spectacular - Attempt #2, complete with directions from the bossy sister to wait until AFTER we sing.
Not-so-Spectacular - Grab a chair next year for the boy, and get him off the table, will ya?!


7.) Spectacular - Phone calls from Grandma/Grandpa, uncles, aunts, and Skyping with Nana/Papa.

8.) Not-so-Spectacular - Big sister's seemingly incurable case of Birthday Envy. All afternoon hearing, "Nothing is special for ME!" "Can I choose the first piece of cake?" "It's so long until my birthday!"

She totally wanted to open every present for him.

9.) Spectacular - This boy.