You have been accepted…

To Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!  Carter has a small obsession with Harry Potter so we went with the Harry Potter theme for his eighth birthday. I have to say that is was a challenge to get it all together, but I think the kids had a blast and Carter loved it.  The kids got their acceptance letters as invitations. 

I had a little backdrop set up to take pictures as the kids were coming, but it didn’t quite work out as I had hoped.  I got some of Ben, who can’t stay away from the camera, and a few of Carter.  Because I haven’t asked anyone’s parents, I won’t post any of Carter’s friend’s pictures.  You’ll just have to believe that they were there .  I was most impressed by the spread.  The kids got to go to Honeyduke’s afterwards to stock up on treats for the movie (we watched HP #1 at the end of the party) and to take home.  There were edible wands, chocolate frogs, jelly slugs, acid pops, gillyweed seeds, hippogriff tounges, Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans, Mandrake puffs and cauldron cakes.  We supplied the magic wands and phoenix tears. The phoenix tears were mixed with goblin crystals (ice) in cups that had food coloring dried in the bottom of them to make a healing potion.  Then we used another form of goblin crystals (dry ice) to make another potion.  We poured hippogriff saliva (bubble solution) over it and it went crazy!  Carter took his magic very seriously.  He taught his friends some of the most important spells, which were used to defeat the dementor that got loose in the house (Mike in costume).  I’m not one to toot my own horn, but it was a pretty awesome party.  As another part of his gift, we rearranged Carter’s room and made a little reading nook.  Samantha got him a bean bag for it.  He really liked it.  As was evidenced by the bulging eyeballs and flaring nostrils.  He’s telling me to delete this picture as I’m typing. Ben gave him the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid which he finished the next day. 

Overall, I think he had a pretty great day.  One day he will appreciate all the work that went into that one great day!