Kids' Happy Birthday Party Bash: DIY Watermelon Soap & Sweet Potato Ball Shaved Ice

July’s gathering was moved up a bit because Junjun’s dad had to rearrange his leave, and it just so happened that Little Pink Yuan was the birthday girl this month. So besides the originally planned DIY activities, we also added a birthday celebration — the whole event was super packed. The kids were busy from the moment they arrived until they left, and they fell asleep the second they got in the car. When they woke up, the first thing they asked was when we could go play again.
(Recommended reading:)

Since it was a birthday party, we started by making flower crowns as soon as everyone arrived. Pink Yuan’s mom bought colorful paper strips — you just need to use double-sided tape to stick them into a circle, super simple, and almost all the kids managed to do a pretty good job on their own!!!

Let me introduce the members of today’s party. Top left is Polly, middle top is Junjun, right top is Little Apple, bottom left is Brother Niu, bottom middle is Little Pink Yuan, bottom right is Little Abby. The new member, Little Paul, unfortunately didn’t get a solo shot at all, so we’ll just skip him. And our Little Niu Sister was home sick, being taken care of by grandma, so mom got a rare break from handling two kids — and even got to bring along her fully independent big brother. It was super relaxing~

And then came the most anticipated lunch — and wow, it was ridiculously delicious. “This is not something normal people would make” has officially become a must-say line at every party.

[Assorted Cheese Platter] — kept getting restocked the moment it was placed on the table, and both adults and kids couldn’t resist sneaking bites even before we started eating. [Spiced Quail Eggs] made even the kids who usually avoid egg yolks give in and eat the whole egg. [Thai-style Cold Seafood Salad] was loaded with fresh shrimp, clams, and squid — super refreshing and tasty. [Spaghetti] and [Seasonal Vegetables] were, of course, also top-notch.

The main dishes: [Satay Chicken] cooked with coconut milk and curry, super tender even kids could gnaw on easily. [Bacon Enoki Mushroom Rolls] had a sweet and crispy texture that had everyone popping in three rolls in a row — a bit too rich? Just pair it with cucumber, absolute perfection. [Little Hedgehog Mashed Potatoes] were absolutely cheating — what kid could resist that shape? [Fruit Platter] had kiwi, golden kiwi, peaches, apples, guavas, tomatoes, plus a sprig of freshly picked mint. Who serves fruit like this at meals? So over-the-top…

After lunch, Apple Mom led the kids in making [Watermelon Soap DIY]. The soap base is really perfect for little hands to work with, and making watermelon-shaped soap in summer is super thematic. Though soap made from base isn’t the best for washing, it’s still okay for handwashing. Fun is the priority, Up!

Pre-cut CP soap bits with watermelon seeds were sprinkled into the molds. Transparent soap base was melted in an electric pot, then dyed red (for big watermelons) and yellow (for small round watermelons) with food coloring, poured into molds and left to cool. Once hardened, white soap base was used to create the rind’s white part, then after another wait, transparent soap base + food coloring was used to make the green skin.

Once all three layers of soap base had cooled and hardened, it was done. Before and after pouring each layer into the mold, don’t forget to spray with alcohol — it helps the layers stick better and removes bubbles for a smoother, prettier finish. Junjun had been looking forward to this for ages, and the moment it came out of the mold, he rushed straight to the bathroom to wash his hands!
(Recommended reading:)

Since the soap base takes time to set, there were a few intermissions in between. The kids were already super familiar with each other and played like crazy — the moms were at a loss for words.

Of course, there were also sweet, dreamy moments. Three well-behaved kids played with building blocks for ages, and their teamwork was hilarious — the two older brothers took turns stacking blocks, while Little Apple guarded the area to keep the toddlers from knocking it down. (Several times their creations got toppled, and Junjun and Brother Niu each cried once!)

After finishing the soap, it was almost time for cake. This [Mango Mousse Cake] was handmade by Pink Yuan’s mom, and of course, we had to bring out the classic line again: “This is not something normal people would make.” Made with 100% real mangoes — super fragrant and creamy.

Little Pink Yuan insisted on cutting the cake herself, not just making a symbolic first cut — she actually sliced it into little pieces. You can tell she’s trained at home, her hand control is amazing!

After cake, we took a little break before moving on to today’s food DIY: [Sweet Potato Balls + Crispy Balls]. Cooked sweet potatoes were mashed, then mixed with tapioca starch, sweet potato powder, and water to form dough, which the kids rolled into little balls themselves — super fun throughout the whole process.

Besides the chewy sweet potato balls, we also made green tea-flavored and cocoa-flavored crispy balls. Tapioca starch and sweet potato powder were mixed with hot water to form a dough, then cold water was added to bind it before rolling into little dumplings. (There was also supposed to be a batch of plain ones, but the cold water accidentally spilled — might as well save it for oyster omelets!)

The kids had so much fun rolling the balls — it turned into a competition to see who could roll the most and the fastest. Once done, the little balls were boiled in hot water until they floated to the surface, drained, then tossed with a bit of sugar to caramelize — ready to eat!

Using homemade clear ice, topped with syrup made from authentic Okinawan brown sugar, plus a bunch of tasty toppings — that’s the refreshing and delicious [Shaved Ice]!

Look at this bowl — doesn’t it look absolutely delicious?
(Recommended reading:)

Another wild, eat-and-drink-to-the-max party has come to an end. See you next month, little ones, Up! (Junjun’s dad said if we keep this up, he might have to buy the house next door too — he’s seriously so funny!)
]