It was a birthday extravaganza.

Upon returning to school after a joyous Christmas break with anything and nothing on the agenda for 2.5 blissful weeks (just the way we like it), I was surprised to look at our January 2014 calendar and realize that Big Sister's 9th birthday (NINTH!) was just a couple weeks away. So the morning we sent them back on their merry way to school, I gave her a choice: Do you want a party? If yes (duh), what kind?

Thus, a Harry Potter party was born. You can basically find every good idea ever had by a better, bigger budget, craftier mother on the internets and the time suck that is Pinterest. I implemented the inspiring ones on my kind of timeline and budget. 

We allow for as many friends as you are years old, but with accommodating for siblings this turned into the biggest bash we have ever hosted. So we hosted it (for free!) at the community center across the street. Luckily for us, Big Sis has the absolute sweetest, nicest friends a momma could ever want for her darling girl. And we were absolutely blessed with the most gorgeous warm winter day, which allowed for plenty of good ol' fashioned park time between crafts.

 Administering scars.

 The sisters getting sorted into their respective Hogwarts houses before a feast in the great hall.

 

Extra Gryffindor ties were supplied in case after the feast friends decided to choose again for themselves. Oh, they did.

 

No birthday feast is complete without pizza, fruit, and crudités. Ours included traditional Hogwarts' fare, like chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's, and butterbeer, too. 

All of the guests painted their own wand, and made their own sorting hat from a paper grocery sack. 

Big Sis chose chocolate cake (Daddy made from scratch) with vanilla whipped cream frosting (Mommy made), and we chose sparkly white sprinkles and Bertie Bott's to embelish.

Little Sis was a great sport about Big's special day, up until she didn't get her preferred jelly bean flavors on her slice of cake. She got over it.

The girl deemed her birthday party a grand success, and seeing as she was now officially old enough, she promptly begin reading The Goblet of Fire once we returned home.

We are constantly amazed and grateful to have such a sweet, humorous, bookish and thoughtful girl in our lives. Big Sister is truly a joy; we love her so!

It's gone by too fast.