Kai turns 5!

On Saturday May 12th we hosted our first-ever "friends' party" to celebrate Kai's 5th birthday.  Planning this event stressed me out.  I'm not good at creative things and the trend these days seems to be throwing over-the-top homemade parties with everything done cutesy and crafty.  I so WISH I was one of those moms, but it's just not a talent I have.  It took me a while to make peace with that and then once I did, Kai's party became a lot less stressful.

Kai decided he wanted a super-hero themed party and so we went to Wal-Mart to check out what was the available.  Thankfully, Avengers is a pretty big movie right now (ha!) and all of that paraphernalia features several different superheroes, so we were all over that.  We bought invitations, plates, napkins, cups, and even wall stickers.  I planned on making a cake myself (note to self:  you are also NOT a cake decorator.....suck it up and buy one next time!) and organizing the games.

The day before the party I was anxiously decorating a cake that did not turn out at all how I had envisioned it.  (Let's say I pictured a beautiful perfect cake and I made a pile of yummy crumbs.)  I also had to shop for our lunch items, make jell-o jigglers, and have Reid help cut-out the fabric for homemade capes.  The morning of the party we were cleaning and organizing and decorating.  It was practically a full-day affair.

We used the wall stickers to decorate the wall in the toy room with a city landscape littered with superheros.  And then we set-up an obstacle course for our superheros in training.  Upstairs we strung up the streamers and I added helium balloons to the rooms and the mailbox.  Reid had to figure out a way to hang a pinata from our ceiling, too.  Finally it was 10:59 and we were ready for our first party guest.

When the boys arrived we fitted them with their capes.  Once most of the guests were there we headed to the basement where we had everyone run the obstacle course.  Of course they all wanted to do it a few times!  After that it was time for superhero sandwiches in the kitchen.  We followed that with cake and ice cream.  While we were doing all of that, a friend of ours was busy painting superhero masks on the boys' faces.  After cake and ice cream we moved to presents where Kai received all kinds of great gifts.  Finally, it was time for the pinata.  I was so afraid the pinata would break before everyone had a chance, but it turned out to be much tougher than I thought and all of the boys got several turns before Kai finally took it down.

It was a good party.  Lots of fun and lots of work, but worth it to see how happy Kai was.  He was so funny as every time someone wished him "Happy Birthday" he would say, "It's not my birthday.  It's my birthday party!"  I tried to explain to him and I failed.  Oh well.  We all laughed.

Most of the boys...well, the ones who were on time.  :)

Our party kept just growing larger as the time passed.

Blowing out the candles

I'm so glad there's no close up of this mess of a cake!

Superhero costume gear from Bennett

Everyone had to help Kai open his presents!  This is a hotwheels track from Drake.

Tanner taking a swing at the pinata

Collecting some of the candy

Joseph and Eli with their faces painted.  Kai opted out of the face painting--silly kid!

The day of his birthday was actually a school day.  So, I sent him to school with chocolate chip cookies and he was happy.  Later that day he opened the gifts from family which included a bicycle from us and he has been elated ever since.  Now I just have to get him riding it more!

Opening his presents from Grandma.  She did a great job this year.  He LOVED them!

We haven't started his aquasaur tank yet, but he's very excited about it.

Both boys loved the card--as always.

His new "training bike" as he calls it.

I can't believe he's five already!  I miss my little man, but I love seeing him grow up and become such a good kid.  I'm proud of him and I look forward to the next five years and beyond.  Happy Birthday sweet Kai!