Whoa, Nellie! Happy Mother's Day to me (and to you too, if you're a mumma). I've spent the day cleaning up after Maxi-Taxi's 7th birthday party yesterday. My sister-in-law Lucia, LOML and I went Harry Potter mad and had a fabulous time at Hogwart's schooling 10 little Harrys and 4 Princess Harryettes.
The invitation to attend Hogwart's school of Witchcraft and Wizardry was despatched by owl delivery.
The students arrived at Hogwart's Castle and were requested to knock three times to be considered for entry.
Once their name was checked off the roll, they were invited to change into their uniforms.
And sign up for the House Competition and Potions Class.
The Sorting Hat decided who would be a Gryffindor, a Slytherin, a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw. None of the Harrys wanted to be in Gryffindor so it was decided the Harryettes would be the snakes. Each student received a house badge to wear on their robe.
Then it was time for the house competition. It was a treasure hunt race to see who could find the quidditch snitch first. Each team had a different set of clues that sent them on a hunt all around the house and garden.
Gryffindor stumbled on their final questions, mistaking the white wishing chair on the front verandah for the lounging lizard chairs on the back verandah (it's a common mistake). Their error cost them the snitch and they limped home in fourth place. The medals went to the Ravenclaw boys in first place followed by the lovely Slytherin girls and the Hufflepuffs in third place.
After the excitement of the competition and a bit of mad free play involving rock climbing in the Forbidden Forest...
... it was time to use their wands to burst the floating bubbles...
... followed by a flying lesson on the trampoline.
A refreshing drink of Butter Beer saw everyone ready to settle down for class where Professor Lucia taught them all how to make their own Minstry of Magic memo owls.
Then it was over to the chocolate fountain to coat breadstick wands with chocolate and dip them into cauldron pots of surprise sprinkles. The wands were washed down with a magic potion drink (two drops of food colouring dried on the bottom of the glass, covered in ice, lemonade turns coloured in the glass!).
Following dinner of Oozy Parcels (sausage rolls) and Goblins Fingers (mini-hot dogs with tomato sauce), we hit the dessert table for the real food!
Hedwig Owl Pops (raspberry cake pops decorated as owls)
Dragons Eggs (left-over easter eggs!)
Quidditch Balls (cheezels)
Goblins Boogers (popcorn)
Wizards Hats (cakes with mini-ice cream cones filled with marshmallows)
and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (jelly beans).
Professor Moody showed us an amazing dragon's egg that was lit red from within, a volcano in a bottle explosion, a breathe capture and firework's in a jar. We cracked open some glo-sticks and danced around while the volcano exploded.
The sparkler-ladden cake made it's entrance and Maxi barely got a look in as the candles were blown out by his over-excited friends just as the final school bell sounded.
Hogwart's lessons were over for the day, which was just as well as the Professors were absolutely exhausted!
Lessons learnt:
1. You can never have too much fun at a child's party.
2. You can never have too much fun preparing for one either.
3. But, oh no, the clean up! And the sore feet! And the sheer exhaustion! Argh!
xxx Happy Birthday, my sweet Harry xxx