Ben wanted an astronaut/space/NASA party. I wanted a party at home. We figured out how to make both happen.

First, the invitation:

Mission Control Specialist Serdy

Astronaut Trainee Guest

Dear Astronaut Trainee:

BLAST OFF! Commander Ben Serdy has a special mission and needs more astronauts. You have been selected to be part of the Launch Crew for a mission to Outer Space!

Mission Objective: Help Commander Ben Serdy have a Happy Birthday!

Astronauts report for duty Friday August 15, 2008.

Countdown begins at 1100 hours (11:00 AM start time).

Return to Earth at 1330 hours (1:30 PM end time).

Launch Site: Space Station Serdy.

Coordinates: [our address]

Communicate with Specialist Valerie Serdy at Mission Control to confirm your flight readiness.

Be prepared to train for your new position and enjoy snack, drinks, and cake!

Next: the decorations:

• I drilled holes in plastic glow-in-the-dark stars and strung them together with fishing line. Kristen hung them along the stairway to the basement
• I strung black and blue balloons (that Kristen blew up!) on fishing line. We hung them along the deck railing along with blue and silver stars

Next: the day of the party

Once all the astronaut trainees arrived, we sat them down to get a preview of what they were training for: they watched the lift-off scene in Apollo 13.

Then, we started our training be exercising to make our bodies strong for space. We passed out jump ropes, demonstrated how to jump and let the kids go. There was much whining: most of the kids didn't know how to jump rope and it was HOT HOT HOT the day of the party. Eventually everyone tried to jump and most kids got the hang of it enough to skip three or four or five times.

Then, we moved on to the bear crawl and the crab walk. Everyone hated the crab walk! They kept falling and the grass was really wet so we switched to bear crawl races.

After we wore the kids out (just a teeny bit) we had some astronaut snacks: freeze-dried apples, freeze-dried potatoes (they all LOVED these), and freeze-dried ice cream sandwich. Again, much love for the ice cream sandwich.

We did the string game next. Earlier in the day I tied little parachute dudes to string and wrapped the string round and round the living room. Each astronaut had to navigate the string maze to rescue their parachute guy. Mostly the kids got frustrated with the maze so we had to help them rescue their parachute men. Then they took turns dropping them off the balcony. Kristen came in with a request for a new game so we switched to the Asteroid Game. Each kid got a balloon-asteroid and had to keep the asteroid from hitting the earth. If the asteroids hit the earth, the kids all had to "become extinct" just like the dinosaurs.

Lunch next: pizza and apples. Then craft: each kid got to decorate a Pringles can I had already spray-painted white. Then it was off to the moon-rock hunt (treasures wrapped in foil). The kids ran around the yard searching for the moon rocks Kristen hid. (By the way, somehow amidst all this help, Kristen took some fantastic shots of the party!)

Cake, ice cream, and present opening followed.

Finally, the kids all shot off rockets (stomp-rockets, not the kind with any kind of ignition sequence) while waiting for their parents to pick them up.

No one wanted to leave and there was much giggling in between mild bouts of frustration. No one cried so all in all it was a fantastic party!