Monster Party

Ever since Towns has been taking gymnastics at Monster Tumble & Cheer, Cate has been asking when her turn will ever come. Since she's still got a little while longer before that will happen, J decided that having her birthday party there was the way to go. It was an absolute blast, but that made her want to start taking classes that much more!

Let me preface this by telling you that most of the adults in our family are like big kids. After it was all said and done I think we had as much fun, if not more fun, than the children. I was sure of one thing going into it: fun would be had by all no matter what. But I never thought I'd catch Pop in the foam pit...

What I wish I'd got on camera is him jumping off the trampoline into it!
I even snapped a picture of Grandmommy on the tumble track, but she might not like me too much if I shared it with the world! :)
Cate's most favorite part of the entire place is the foam pit and stayed buried in it most of the party...

What gave me heart palpatations wasn't the fact that she was in it, it's how she went about it...

Do you see that?! Fearless!
We had free reign of the gym for the longest time, and then it was time for the games to begin. This was what everyone loved most...

The object was to run as fast as they could down the tumble track, jump or flip over the noodle at the end, and land in the foam pit. After Cate went once I wised up and moved to where I could get a better shot of everyone...

Towns' turn...

Keaton mastered the flipping in no time flat...

Max...

Anna Grace...

I'd think something was wrong with my husband if he wasn't in on it...

But this one surprised me...

That's Steve and his better side! Ha!
The kiddos waited in line ever so patiently for their turn to go, and they did it over and over again until they were so hot they looked like they'd just stepped out of the shower...

This is the only shot I could get of J and his round off back tuck. Should have thought to switch my camera into action mode...

I couldn't sit back and watch everyone else having all the fun. This is the tail end of a back flip on the tumble track...

That right there was enough to make me remember how much I love it. I was so close to asking the owner if he'd be interested in starting an adult class for the has-beens who think they've still got it. Actually, it would probably just turn into a private lesson for my hubby and me because we're the only ones crazy enough to do it! :)
After over an hour of sweating it out in the gym, everyone was ready for pizza and Hello Kitty cupcakes...

Cate didn't care too much about anything but the icing...

That's my girl!
And since it was her party, I dared not say a word about it!
Mr. Evin rounded out the fun by giving Cate a little present - a Monsters t-shirt just her size...

I don't think she would have given any less of a reaction if he'd just gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She's always been particularly interested in Evin (Towns' gymnastics teacher and cheer coach), and that little green t-shirt sealed the deal. Have you ever?!?!
On the way out, we fed the fish in the pond outside the gym the left over chips...

And somehow we managed to get them all lined up for a group picture...

Cate only has 3 children in her class, only one of those being another girl. Ella couldn't make it, so that just left Cate and the boys. Also known as perfection in the eyes of the birthday girl!