Success

I will upload a some pictures soon but the party was a smashing success, which is good because it nearly killed me. The cake, complete with one miniature marshmallow igloo, three polar bears, one reindeer, two penguins and a walrus was gobbled up (luckily I baked an extra 13 x 9 cake of which there were only three small pieces left). Pizza was delicious thanks to our sitter, who recommended a place about 150 yards from the party location. The goody bags were a hit and I was so grateful for the parents that had stuck around because they helped us serve and clean up. They also acted as extra security detail for the various incidents involving popped balloons and minor disagreements which are inevitable when you put 25 kids in a vast space where they can run with reckless abandon.

For the record, I didn't fully grasp the term "reckless abandon" until I saw those 25 kids running at full speed, oblivious to the adults around them. And that "reckless abandon the kids ran with? That was before they'd even had any cake.