Go Bananas - Family Birthday Bash 2013

Recognize what they are all wearing  around their necks?  You probably played with these as kids.

It's that time of year when once again our family has five birthdays to celebrate within a three week time span. We met at a supper club - The White Stag - on our way to our cabin in the North Woods in the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan. 

This is a tradition that we all look forward to! 

Every year I plan a theme and will go to many lengths to keep it a secret from the celebrants.

Last year the theme was dinosaurs as one in the group turned thirty.  (Get it?  She's now a dinosaur - ha!)  In past years we had themes of pirates, flamingos and All-American 4th of July red, white and blue.   Perhaps you have already surmised what the 2013 birthday theme was based upon the top picture.  Drum roll, please...it was

MONKEY BUSINESS!

The monkey faces were actually paper plates and I cut out holes so the monkey eyes could "shine" through for the party-goers shouldst they choose to act as monkeys throughout the course of the meal.

Once we sat down at our table (thankfully in a side room with fewer diners...we can get a bit rowdy), it was time to pass out the treat bags. Inside the bags were items one might use for monkey business such as squirt guns and party blowers. Yes, also chocolates were included...what's a treat bag without chocolates in this family?  For my little sweeties, the bags had monkey-related books and puzzles and a little stuffed monkey with velcro paws for hugging.

While we wait for the food to come, there's time for some monkey-ing around.

Oh, how delicious our food is at the Stag.  Miss M especially enjoyed the iceberg lettuce.

Dinner eaten...cake time!

This year it was a real treat to have an ice cream cake pre-ordered and picked up from a nearby town (Rhinelander).Tricky, too with the possibility of it melting before it could be eaten.
 It was a delicious cake!
Now, on to the gift-giving.

Games inside those boxes?  TICKET TO RIDE (ASIA), BLOKUS, NAME FIVE, CLUE and MAD GAB.

The theme of the gifts: games. Five different games were purchased and wrapped. The celebrants chose a game from the pile and could keep it or trade it.

The Monkey Business continued days after the party was over with the two most willing participants shown here tossing water balloons to each other.

Happy Birthday to

John

Jed

   Kari   

  Anne 

  Wes