Only 2 more years until she can go to Hogwarts...

Julianna's 9th birthday was on Saturday.  Allow me a moment of the usual exclamations of surprise--How on earth did it come to pass that I have a 9 year old kid in a ladies size 7 shoe who can read and swim and has a life outside my own?  And me a tender young 24.  Shocking, really.

She wanted a Hogwarts birthday party and I was only too happy to oblige.  The night before, she took a shower and had me braid her hair so that she could have bushy hair like Hermione.  She does not realize that Rowling's description of Hermione as "bushy-haired" was meant to insinuate that she wasn't all that pretty.  And Julianna kind of crosses over from Hermione to Rosanne Rosannadanna:

It makes her oh-so-happy, though, so I say nothing.  It helps that I can take lots of pictures in anticipation of her inevitable teenage horror--"I did THAT to my hair?!"

As you can see above, we had a little "Platform 9 3/4" sign on the door.  When the kids came in, I sorted them, dressed as Professor McGonegal.
 I stuck my hand up the hat so that it could talk.  Not while on my head, of course.  Although  that would have been memorable, I'll wager... I gave each of them a badge for her house.  Only Ben made Slytherin.  Shocking no one.So proud he's wearing 3 badges.  Because no one else WANTS to be in the bad house.  Except Mr. Toilet Snorkler.

Anyway.  First class was Herbology with Professor Sprout, who bears a very strong resemblence to Prof. McGonegal, but has different taste in hats.In this class, they painted flower pots and planted flowers in them.  Ben, unable to see how this ties into Star Wars, refused to paint anything.  Lily painted the INSIDE of her pot and thus refused to plant a flower. This is why you cannot go to Hogwarts until you are 11.

Next class was Potions with Professor Snape.  Julianna wanted to have a hunt for the ingredients, so I wrote upsome clues and hid the stuff needed to make "flubber" around the yard.  Then they came back in to make the potion.  Why yes, that IS a very similar cape to the one worn by Profs. McGonegal and Sprout.  Only inside out.  I knew that Renfest obsession would eventually pay off.

Steve very much enjoyed being Snape.  He'd ask, "You, Hufflepuff--What is your favorite animal?"  "A horse."  "WRONG!  Ten points from Hufflepuff for not knowing her favorite animal!"  I had to gently point out that only two of the girls present had read the books, thus making it really just seem as if Julianna's daddy is kind of a dick with flamboyant taste in outerwear.  The girls really got a kick out of it, especially since it gave them license to shout back at a grownup.

After the potions, Snape's identical twin Gilderoy Lockheart took the kids outside for Defense Against the Dark Arts.  Two girls had wands with the power to freeze, the others had the power to unfreeze.  So, you know, freeze tag with chopsticks.

That gave me a chance to clear up the table for cake.  The last class was back inside with McGonegal--Transfigurations.  They sat in a circle on the floor.  I showed them the Orb of Transfiguration (looks very much like a balloon with a bit of water and glitter inside.  uncanny, really) and told them that while the music played, they should pass it around the circle.  But when the music stops, the Orb will transform whoever is holding it into an animal.  The holder must then make that animals noise.  Thereafter, whenever the music stops, all who have once been transformed are transformed again, gradually filling the house with animal cacaphony.  Only, after about a pass and a half, the balloon popped in Rhiannon's lap, transforming her into a Wet Girl.  Behold!  The power of the Orb!

One spare pair of pants later, we had cake.  Now is the part where you ooo and ahh and tell me how very cool and talented I am.  But save it for the comments section, K?
Then pressies and then a very condensed form of Quidditch: Beat the golden snitch with a stick until candy falls out:


This totally filled the two hours, and they all went home with candy, flubber, and a flower pot.  Best part is, it really was pretty stress free.  Julianna did a lot of the planning.  We didn't really need to buy anything but some flower pots and chopsticks.  The cake wasn't in a weird shape I had to figure out.  I didn't feed anyone anything but cake and drinks (butterbeer and pumpkin juice--The butterbeer was cream soda and root beer mixed.  Pumpkin juice was just mulled cider). No actual goody bags.  And everyone had fun.  And then I needed a nap.

You may praise me now.