Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to trade PR for a stellar party experience from The Play Café, but all thoughts, opinions, and nutty party masks are entirely my own.
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My buttercup with dandelion-fluff hair turned 4 years old yesterday. FOUR. While it seems like she’s actually going on 11 most days, I still can’t help but feel like she’s still the rosy newborn smiling in her sleep against my neck. (And if I were truly honest, I still can’t help but miss those days of staying stilllll….)
That said, few people live life quite like Susannah Mae. So how do you celebrate a kiddo who has never met a person who didn’t come away a friend and who has yet to spy a tall structure without thinking- “I could totally perch on that?”
With a party as dramatically awesome as she is. Namely, a theatre party. Her face was even on the invitation “ticket.” (We also used this birthday as an excuse to practice a bit more generosity in our community- something my big sis Kate has been doing with her boys for years– so Zu chose to donate her birthday “presents” to PAWS Chicago in the form of cat and dog blankets, pet toys, and loads of food. That no-kill shelter is where our kitties came from, 11 years ago!)
P.J. strung the costumes across the playroom wall as a prime backstage area. We sure have a lot of tutus.
Not gonna lie- these animal masks all strewn together looked a bit like carnage.
Sometimes the heart stencil works and sometimes it looks like the cupcakes are bleeding.
A “show” wouldn’t be a show without popcorn! And Goldfish.
And- the clutch event of the shindig- we were regaled with a terrific performance from (and with!) the Play Café. Linda and Brad are WONDERFUL, and straight-up music and kiddo experts. And talk about a hands-off party experience for me! Before the big day, Linda and I had a back n’ forth about Suzy’s interests, her family, and basically what makes her the Zu-iest.
So when they showed up with instruments and a bag o’ tricks bigger than the birthday girl, all I had to do was sit back and watch the magic happen.
Why does Suzy’s mask look like that creeper in the bar from Star Wars?
There was very little sitting down once Brad and Linda started jamming out. Even Bob Dylan (over on the right) couldn’t believe his eyes.
No seriously, there was magic. Kids were, quite literally, stunned. (And the quote of the day? “Mr. Brad is just so magical!”)
People cannot BELIEVE how skilled Suzy is.
Suzy-specific songs, group-brainstormed stories, and plenty of dancing made the time fly by…and legit burned off the “party energy” of the Under-6 set.
Susannah wasn’t the only major fan of the Play Café. Book these people. Book ’em now.
Lookit herself with the hand on the guitar. This is a kid who has never felt out of place.
Besides, any time you can look around the room and see how happy you’ve made your friends? While Suzy might just call that “a Sunday,” I consider that a pretty kickin’ birthday party.
Just like my kickin’ kiddo.
Who might be sleeping this one off for a week.
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