Shirley's party advice part 3 - in which Shirley may make a guest appearance

[stealthsquiggle]

We appear to have filled another thread

I'll upload proper Tiger outfit pics tomorrow when I can get on the computer

Thanks Blathers! This thread has totally inspired me re: DS's party and given me loads of confidence to organise everything myself! We're on holiday next week do when I'm back I can really get into organising it

I haven't ordered the craft pirate masks yet so will await more details of cheapy craft shop!

I do need to find a black waistcoat for DS's costume but apart from that his outfit mostly sorted I think.

Blathers - my timeline is full of work stuff and Eurovision and seems to have lost you... I will try again in the morning.

DrsW - so far in the last couple of.months I have won Jamie O fish book & vouchers and a signed Julia Donaldson book

I saw the Jamie O book and vouchers but missed the Julia Donaldson book. Now I am very

The DC and I got to meet Oliver Jeffers once and each of the children have a signed book from him which is rather cool.

Have accepted you back on Twitter - seems it's still playing silly buggers and unfollowing random people - had to lock my timeline as I got busted in RL. Should really namechange on here too but I like Blathers and post most on this and another long term thread where a namechange would be obvious and confusing :(

On my lists for dragon parties (which I still haven't found - really must check through those course notes before I put them in the bin) I realised I already had more than enough stuff to do and caught myself contemplating making the party longer... It would be really cool to know someone who could teach them all to do a dragon dance, though

I am going to have to, aren't I?

Oh goodness that's cute!

DS went off today in his t-shirt but refused to wear his mask or tail when he got to School. Hopefully the teacher will have talked him into it. Some of the kids had full furry suits! They're going to be baking

meant to say on Twitter - my MIL's birthday is the day after mine - it does get in the way, doesn't it?

I should persuade DH to go the Pandora route for MIL, I think - would solve present problems for a few years, anyway..

I have ordered a pink dragon kit and a blue dragon kit (I know, I know, but they were the best colours...) - I think they will be the mascots/themes for the party and then be presents for DD afterwards.

I think that's why BILs like them for SILs and FIL for MIL - easy, peasy Birthday/Christmas/mother's Day presents.

Am tempted to order a dragon kit myself and I don't need one!

I got the Gingerdead and letter cutters for my birthday!

Cool! I was planning on tweeting birthday greetings, but got distracted by old friend announcing they were going to drop in for tea, which is lovely, because we don't see them often and their DC and ours get on extremely well, but I suddenly remembered that he is precisely a week older than me, so emergency baking had to be done...

How was Jamie's?

His birthday today as well then?

Jamie's was OK. My choice was limited as I can't eat chilli and pretty much everything had it in and my main course was sopping with grease but everyone else's food seemed nice and they were really good with the children.

I doubt we'll go back but it was nice to try it.

Yes but he's lots older than you

Shame about Jamie's. I don't remember a massive amount of chilli, but then I don't suppose I would have noticed.

I'd say about 75% of the menu had chilli listed as one of the ingredients and my Sister's meal didn't have it listed yet she was sure she could taste it. I am really, really crap with it. It used to make my face swell up so I've avoided it and have never built up a taste for it so now it blows my head off. Carluccio's is very similar and uses much less chilli.

Do you have anything nice planned for your birthday? We'll be on holiday but I'm sure I can manage a tweet on the day :)

Mine co-incides with lots of jubilee stuff, so not sure what we will end up doing.

You lot will be able to help!

Ds's school have just sent a mail reminding everyone about dressing the children in red, white and blue on Friday and also to "request that you put something special and ?celebratory' in their lunch box". The fundraising team are "giving each child a Union Jack flag and a celebration red, white and blue cake". I was thinking of putting a decorated biscuit in but that seems a little overkill on the sweet stuff now. I was planning a strawberry/melon/blueberry fruit salad but he has fruit every day so that's not really a treat.

What else can I put in that's 'celebratory'?

coronation chicken sandwich ?

Ha! I'm afraid he takes after me and doesn't do curry though.

I'm considering a red, white and blue jelly. Strawberry from a packet and then some lemonade and scary blue pop set with gelatine?

or, if DS will eat it, you could get brown and white bread and cut it to make a "union jack" sandwich (I have tried to find a picture to show what I mean and have failed completely)

..or sandwiches cut into crown shapes?

Popcorn! With red, white and blue sprinkles!

Ours is a air popper so the corn doesn't come out sticky enough to colour 3 batches individually but I could mix some with multicoloured sprinkles. I think I'd rather do that than try colouring the popped corn with food colouring. I could make it quickly in the morning if it was just a case of tipping sprinkles in and then it would be fresh.

It's also then a wholegrain too so I don't have to feel too guilty--

Genius idea. I just have to come up with red, white and blue clothing for DD. Should be do-able, but I am hoping that it remains hot as I am reasonably sure she has a red, white and blue sundress - job done!

DS has a cheap t-shirt with a union jack on that I got from the supermarket (DH has pointed out that it's actually red, grey and almost black but it gets the idea across I think), some red or blue shorts depending on which he chooses and some union jack socks. DS is obsessed with "our flag" ever since my brother gave him an atlas so everything will get worn to death I'm sure.

I keep looking at all the stuff in the shops and resisting the temptation so far. If I look at the dress that I have in mind and decide it is not suitable, then jeans and a newly acquired T-shirt it will be.

Saw these and had to show you guys. Aren't they cute :)