Welcome to the jungle...

A.K.A Deedee's Monkey, banana, pajama themed 9th birthday (slumber) party! 

We set the stage,

and prepared the food.

Deedee was all nerves waiting for her friends to arrive for her first slumber party EVEEEEER!

At last the girls started arriving (cue the squealing and steady stream of bunny ears).

The Professor  spent much of the night managing the hurt feelings of one little three year old who just figured out her place in the nine year old caste system (its pretty low, actually). "But why can't I sleep over too?!?"

Sad,

sadder,

and we'll skip saddest and move to Zuzu's favorite emotion,

righteous indignation.

(then she alternated between petulance, euphoria and despair for the remainder of the evening. I have submitted The Professor's name to the vatican for sainthood.)

Pizza in the jungle.

   

(note the euphoric Zuzu)

An Estrada Family Party Favorite...

E.S.P.

Clairvoyance and candy. It doesn't get much better than this folks. 

      Chocolate covered bananas on a shteek.

    

Monkey tails.

(that's what the kids are callin' em in the jungle these days)

The combination of copious amounts of sugar and no accountability to parents for 15 hours had just about the effect you would expect.

They were flying high. Literally.

Matching Monkey Pajamas.

 Perfect for creating mechanical solidarity.

(not to mention awesome charie's angel photo opps.)

These little bad boys were waiting in the wings to make their debut. I forgot to put water in the cake mix. These were seriously hard headed monkeys.

Grab, grab. Decorate, decorate.

Then there were more...

bunny ears...

on (cupcake) monkeys.

And puffy eyes from crying...on (euphoric)Zuzu.

But best of all there was the Birthday Girl.

Presents, movies and NOT sleeping (well, maybe they caught a few winks) in the slumber house.

while this awaited me in the big house (and I don't mean prison...well...maybe I do).

Tired (very) but pleased (very, very) that we pulled this one off for Deedee.

She said it was the best time she ever had! Now c'mon, that's just the stuff that dreams are made of.

It brought me to my na na na na na na na na na na na na knees, knees. You're not alone Axle Rose.

(P.S. The academy(The Professor & Yours Truly) 

would like to present a Golden Kiss to Uncle Marc for

excellence in photography of a swarm of giddy girls...

and eating pizza dipped in chocolate.

You were part of the magic, you magician, you.

P.P.S

Would you believe we do this all over again for Milo one hour after these monkeys went home? Stay tuned for

Where the Wild Things Are. (I'll give you a hint. They are at our house.)