Hosting a 7th birthday party for Elliot

I am having lots of trouble generally with organising this event, but the one thing driving me mad in particular is trying to find some toy medallions for Elliot's Commonwealth Games themed birthday party we are
hosting for him soon.

I don't know why it is that we can organise parties for 60 or more people, involving adults and children and lots of food and drinks, yet a themed birthday party for a child is very problematic for P and me.

We have over the past two weeks both spat the dummy at various times over the other person's reception of his or her idea. Words have been said. Indeed accusations thrown: whose bright idea was the theme when it is so bloody hard to find bits and pieces for and whose bright idea to invite the whole class including his teacher?

Given that we have never thrown a themed party for Elliot I think it is well past due. We have certainly had lots of family parties for his past birthdays, barbeques, dinners, special days etc, but a party which involves his peer group has not yet come to pass. In my view, a themed child's birthday party is an incredible amount of work, the games, the prizes, the supervision, the venue. The food, well that will be the easy part - pizza from a pizza chain store.

The Venue however, we are hoping to host the party at a park near by but we also have to consider the fickle weather. P has always been concerned about the heat in late November, while I worry more about the rain. I believe that kids cope with heat it's the adults who do not, and this is, after all, a party for the kids. However, if it should rains it will probably mean 20+ 7 year old kids running around our house for three hours.

All is not lost however I have ordered the themed cake and so much cheaper than a Baskin and Robins one - $35.00! We are getting team bandanas made up by P's mum. Only those damn medallions elude us. Making them means purchasing expensive materials gold, silver and bronze paint,having the medallions made buying ribbon ($1 a metre) which is way more trouble and expense than we wanted to go for something some child's parent is going to chuck out when the child returns home with it. Oh
we are trying to buy a marquee for the park - P has started to consider the purchase of a karaoke machine as a wet weather option!

Not to mention the physical toll, I lay awake last night thinking of ways to devise an obstacle course - Survivor style. Can't wait till this party is behind it, on the bright side if it turns out we are failures as our child's party host and we do a bad job maybe he won't ever ask us to do one again.