Donovan’s Agent P Birthday Bash

Well, another year and another party in the bag. We weren’t going to have a party for Donovan this year because Roxy is having her big 8 year bash in less than one month. But…..we caved because how can you say no to a cute little 4 year old, soon to be 5 year old? That’s what I thought so the first thing we had to decide on was the theme. What on Earth are we going to do for this party? Well, first it was race cars, then pirates, then sharks (again), then Spongebob. Once Donovan said Spongebob he started naming a whole bunch of cartoons to have a party theme with. I told him that if we were doing a cartoon then it’s going to be one that I will have planning and not cringing every time I buy something overpriced just because it has faces all over the plates and napkins. So I looked at Donovan and asked if we can have a Perry the Platypus party. We can make it a Secret Agent party and have a grand old time. And that was it, Donovan was hooked and I had some shopping to do.

The number one item on Dono’s list is that he needs a Piñata. It is absolutely mandatory that there is a piñata at his party and it has to be filled with “good candy.” So Aaron and I put our heads together and realized that we will have to make our own piñata this year. I don’t think I ever did paper mache but if I did then I certainly do not remember it. So I did some research and I made some paste, found an old oatmeal carton, baby formula can, big balloon, small balloon, tissue box, and toilet paper roll and created the “candy-awayinator!” I painted it with some chrome spray paint and used green duct tape and purple acrylic paint for the details and there you have it. I think it is the coolest piñata I have ever made! (FYI-it is the first piñata I have ever made so props there!)

We kept the food easy. I went to Little Caesars and bought a bunch of hot and ready's. I found these really cute cupcakes on Disney.go.com and made Perry the platypus cupcakes for everyone. Most of the boys ate Perry and trashed the cupcakes. I was looking at the design and not the taste so maybe next time I use something other than Funfetti mix.

I made a fondant cake a few years back for Donovan. It was a shark cake and I decided to not do that again anytime soon. Well, I decided to give it another go and I made Dono a Perry the Platypus cake out of fondant and icing. This cake was a lot easier since it was an 8 inch round versus a 3D shark. Dono loved it and that was the important thing.

So for the party favors I wanted to do something unique this time. I didn’t want to send the boys home with little magnify glasses and spy gadgets that will break that evening. So I came up with one thing that I can send home with everyone and hopefully they can use it over and over again….an I spy game. Perry is a secret agent right? So I sewed a bunch of small Perry the Platypus I spy games. I printed out pictures of all the Phineas and Ferb characters on photo paper, cut them out and then put them and rice inside these little pillows with a window. Aaron took the keys to work and laminated them for me and then I connected them with some ribbon. Viola, the kids all loved these games and were excited to play them. If I were to do it over, I would print two of each character and glue them together so the characters will always be facing up. But live and learn I guess. The boys didn’t seem to mind so I just had to let it go and move on.

For the invites I wanted them to look like those files that agents get to tell them classified information about their missions. I named myself Ms. Monogram and Dono and I wore our trench coats and we delivered the invites as the OWCA needing assistance to stop Doofensmirtz.  The plot is that Doofensmirtz has stolen Agent D’s birthday present and Perry the Platypus needs help getting it back.  I printed out the invite on my computer and found the manila envelopes at Staples. I printed the “Top Secret” stamp on my computer and they turned out great!

When the boys arrived I welcomed them in and addressed them by their secret agent names (meaning Agent….then the first letter of their name. So Donovan was Agent D). Once everyone was there I passed out their secret agent fedoras. I searched everywhere trying to find these fedoras and then I read on another blog that a mom bought foam cowboy hats at her Dollar Store and trimmed the rims of the hats to make them look like “gangster hats.” Nifty trick so I checked out my Dollar Tree and low and behold, brown cowboy hats everywhere. What was even more awesome is that some of the hats had damaged rims so the manager gave them to me for half off and I cut those pieces off anyway. I love a bargain.

The First game was “a platypus? Perry the Platypus!” Aaron dressed up as Dr. Doofensmirtz for the party and he came outside to see all these little boys hanging out in their hats. The agents needed to get close to Doof so they can bring him down but they are all agents and Doof is onto them. So when Doof turns around and has his back to the agents, then can run toward him. But once Doof turned around, the agents had to take their hats off really quick and pretend to be “an ordinary platypus” and freeze. The boys were constantly laughing at the faces and comments Doofensmirtz kept saying. Loads of fun to watch and it killed lots of time.

So Doofensmirtz escaped and left a whole bunch of land mines (balloons) that have to be diffused in order to follow him. So the agents all ran around trying to disarm (pop) the mines as fast as possible to follow Doofensmirtz. Alas, Doof got away but not for long. The agents made their way to the kitchen and have a pizza break before picking up on Doof’s trail again. Once everyone was full of pizza and kool aid, they ran outside to find the Candy-Awayinator. This video of Aaron’s Doofensmirtz impression is hilarious so enjoy.

Aaron as Doof

After everyone hit the piñata once Donovan got to finish it off and everyone started eating the candy and I grabbed the cupcakes so the mess will stay outside. By then it was 7 and parents were coming to pick everyone up. As they left I awarded the agents with their very own I spy game for helping foil Doofensmirtz’s plan and they took their fedoras, and candy home. Not a bad haul if I do say so myself.

That was probably the best party so far. It was so much fun!!! Hopefully Donovan will let me have input on the theme again because that really does make a difference when it’s something I can enjoy as much as him.