A Mexican Chihuahua Fiesta....gone awry

My oldest turns 9 on Monday, so this weekend we had his birthday party.  He requested a Mexican Chihuahua Fiesta.  I don't know why.  It's weird.  Of course there are no Mexican Chihuahua party supplies that you can go out and get so I got creative.  Thank God Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner because I was able to find all kinds of things for the "fiesta" part.  I found some puppy paw print streamers and made chihuahua cupcakes to incorporate the dog part of it. 





Cupcake instructions can be found under my Recipe tab.

I also made Pedro.  Pedro was our pinata.  I started out making a traditional Estrella (globe shape with four cones attached to sides, lot's of colors and streamers hanging from the cones) but when I was attaching the cones I had an epiphany.  I raised the cones up a bit and had chihuahua ears!  And so Pedro was born.  Twice he nearly did not make it full term.  To understand I have to explain a touch on how one makes a pinata.  To start, a balloon is blown up.  Then it is paper mached.  THEN you can attach extremities such as the cones. 

All was well and I began to paper mache.  This is done by dipping strips of newspaper into a mix of water and flour and then applying the soggy strips to the balloon.  You have to let the layer dry before applying another. After about 3 layers have been applied and dried, you pop the balloon.  The orb shape remains and then the decorating begins. 

As I was finishing the second application of paper mache I realized I had made a perpetually colossal mistake.  For some dumb reason I had attached the cones (chihuahua ears) and milk carton (snout) directly to the balloon!  I began to walk through what would happen when the balloon was popped.  I could envision the extremities collapsing into the pinata.  Aaarrgh!

I taped the outside of the cone to the outside of the pinata and did extra layers of paper mache to the outside of them as well.  I said a prayer that they would stick.  The next day I began applying the last layer and noticed areas that were sinking in.  I looked through the opening at the top and found that the balloon was deflating.  Son of a...  Since it was already on it's way out, I cut the top of the balloon off, expediating the deflation of the balloon.  Everything remained where it should!  VICTORY!  I felt like an evil genius!

The party went really well.  All the kids were given mustaches to wear.  They took turns wearing the sombrero and taking pictures with Pedro. 

Even evil genius has minions.  Caren had suggested that I use the sombrero to display/serve the chihuahua cupcakes.  Tiffany suggested a fun time of having a jalapeno eating contest.  I kicked up the evil (and genius) and called it a HOWLapeno eating contest.  No one had to play if they did not want to.  Participants each ate one jalapeno slice.  The one who ate the most (with no water/milk/honey to soothe the burn) won a box of Hot Tamale candies.  We cut them off at 5 because we did not want anyone getting sick to their stomachs. 

Another game we played was a Chihuahua Toss.  We could not find anyone to volunteer a real chihuahua and so we used a stuffed one that Gabe had.  They took turns tossing him into the sombrero.  The winner won a mini football.

Finally it was time to bust Pedro.  This was bitter sweet for me.  Pedro's whole life had been preparing him for this moment but his life was so short and we had forged a bit of a bond while conquering the obstacles in his creation.  He was a big "hit" with the kids.  Boo.

After the basic festivities were over, female guests and others who were not able to stay over night, headed home.  We had two more friends that were to arrive after their baseball game was over.  Once they did it was like Lord of the Flies broke loose!  It was not these two boys in particular who set it off, it was just something about their arrival that signaled Sleep Over Time!!!

I've never been a fan of sleep overs so it was hard enough for me to say "yes" to it.  Gabriel has a few new friends who are into the WWE (World Wrestling...something).  I made it clear from the get-go that there was to be NO WRESTLING!  Normally, this is something I permit but with these numbers and the sugar in take...I did not find it to be a wise idea.  Despite the line I had drawn, one boy took down a girl earlier in the evening.  Said boy was pulled aside for a talking too.  Same boy then took down one of the newly arrived boys and had some sort of choke hold on him.  Wrestle Mania Boy was then told that another violation of the House Rules would send him packing home.

The poor boy who had been choked wanted to go home.  As would I!  I called and had to leave a message.  I thought that was good though because I figured that by the time his parents called back he would be playing and happy again.  And he was.  He was so comfortable that he reached down in his pants, pulled out his protective cup and sat it on the kitchen table while he ate his cupcake.  I was more freaked out about this then the choking incident.  He later showed the other boys his cup saying, "Hey guys!  Check out how long I've been wearing my cup!  It's all sweaty!" 

"EWWWWW!"  the boys all shouted.

Ew was an understatement.  I ran to Aaron to tell him what had occurred.  He had a good laugh.  Shortly after this the boys were playing in my sons room.

THWACK!

"OW!!  I told you not to turn on the fan!!!"

I ran in to find Gabriel with a huge egg forming on his head.  He was in the top bunk of the bunk beds and got hit in the head by the ceiling fan.  I then took the "conch" and had a Coming to Jesus with all of the boys.  If they could not follow house rules everyone would go home.  Gabriel cried and said it was the worst party he ever had.

About this time Caren text me:

C: How's the party?

M: Not so great.  The party part was good and now it's the sleep over.  It's complete Lord of the Flies.  Several injuries.  I told Aaron it's his party now.  I am going to my room with a bottle of wine.

C:  Funny.  We have an extra bed in the basement.

I then relayed "the cup incident." 

M: I would much rather chance your hubby's flu then deal with this.

C: Yuck.  I knew there was a plus side to girls.

M.:  Same kid with the cup also has very bad aim in the bathroom.

C:  I'm laughing out loud!

M: Yeah, well laugh it up.

C:  Oh, I am my dear.  I am!

Still upset with the whole thing I text my sister (who did not believe me) and Shalah about what I was enduring all to make my 9 year old happy.

Me: This is the last sleep over.

Shalah: Who needs nasty boys!

M: Janet Jackson.  I am staying in the corner of my room, rocking and drinking my wine.

S: Stay in the fetal position and let Aaron handle it.

I then over heard the boys saying that another kids house was more fun then Gabe's because they were allowed to wrestle there.  Boo.  I'm the mean mom.

All is well now.  They are snuggled in their sleeping bags watching a movie with Aaron watching over them.  I went down for a peak.  Found another protective cup on the floor...