Slumber Parties; A love/hate relationship

Some of my most vivid memories of adolescence have to do with slumber parties. Also, these memories are the reason I am an anti-slumber party mom. 

Slumber parties bring out the worst in girls. Every slumber party I ever attended was spent fighting about something, but the worst one was when a girl wrote "I hate somebody here" in lipstick on the bathroom mirror. The next 8 hours were spent in a drama triangle of accusations, secrets, and tears.

Didn't you just love being 13? Don't you wish you could just go back and relive the fairy tale? Yah, me either.

However, as much as I am anti-slumber party, I also understand that slumber parties are a rite of passage and every girl has to experience the horror at some time in their life.

My plan for Mia's first slumber/birthday party was to not leave these little rugrats alone for a single second. I also just went ahead and laid out my expectations to all of them that the next 16 hours we were going to be in the drama-free zone.

Thankfully, these little girls aren't quite to the "Moms are complete idiots" stage and were cool with me nosing my way into every thing they did or said.

And finally, my hours of browsing Pinterest paid off. The girls decorated cereal bowls with sharpie markers (then we baked them in the oven for two hours on 350 - so easy)...

 and made their own trail mix to eat while they watched Mary Poppins.

The next morning we had a cereal bar and used our decorated bowls to eat out of. (And by the way, don't waste your time with a cereal bar for eight and nine-year-olds. They only want to eat Lucky Charms - all day every day.)

I swear every year of this kid's life is my favorite, and I am certain nine will be no exception.