Happy Birthday, Big A!

Five years ago at this time I was reveling in the joy that comes with holding your firstborn (or second, or third or fourth, for that matter) in your arms and enjoying the constant stream of visitors and well wishers... Or maybe I was so overwhelmed, overjoyed and exhausted after 2 1/2 days of labor and 3 hours of pushing that I can't remember what I was really feeling, but I so know that it was exciting.

Yes, Big A turned five yesterday. I'm a day late and a few dollars short sharing this with you, but I was just TOO tired after his party yesterday to come home and blog about it. 20 kids aged five and under will do that to a person!

This year Big A wanted a John Deere themed party. Do you know how difficult it is to find John Deere party supplies without ordering them online and paying an arm and a leg for shipping? So we improvised... We lucked out in finding a John Deere pinata and some generic tractor posters (they just HAPPENED to be green and yellow tractors) at a local party store. We got plain green and/or yellow balloons, party bags, plates, napkins and a table cloth and decorated the table with toy John Deere tractors, dump trucks, semis, etc. And last but not least, I convinced Big A to serve cupcakes (rather than a $32 cake that I knew wouldn't get eaten) at the party by agreeing to make them yellow and green. I ended up making a small round cake for Big A to use for candles and the obligatory, "Happy Birthday, Big A" and 36 cupcakes with handmade John Deere 'decorations' in each one... And do you know what made it ALL worth it? When I finished the cake I said, "Big A, I'm done with you cake. Do you want to see it?"

Big A ran into the kitchen, took one look at the cake and all of those cupcakes and said, "MOMMY! THAT IS AWESOME! I LOVE YOU!" And my five hours of work melted right away into his arms... I love that boy!

We lucked out with GREAT weather yesterday! We had the party at Grandma and Grandpa's house and the kids were able to play on the play structure and teeter totter, play in the dirt pile, ride the Gator and Arctic cat and just plain have fun. We had two games and a pinata and only ended up doing one game and the pinata because the kids were having so much fun just being kids.

Big A's "Present Delivery Vehicle"

The results of "Pin The Wheel On The Tractor"

"Johnny Tractor" pinata - Those kids were STRONG! Based on past experience and the last party we were at, I fully expected the pinata to be hard to break but after the first 4 or 5 kids hit it, we were having to retie it so that it wouldn't fall too soon!

The Gift Table

CUPCAKE TIME!!

PRESENT TIME... Talk about chaos! All of the kids were crowded around Big A and I was trying to write while he opened so that we could assure that the correct people are thanked for the correct gifts... It was madness!

After all of the cupcakes were eaten, gifts were open, goodie bags were handed out and friends had left we had a family dinner and the grandparents and B and I gave Big A his last few gifts.

New Bike!

Family Dinner

And one last round of "Happy Birthday"

This is the first time that we've invited the entire class to a birthday party and there were a LOT of kids here but it was a great day! All in all, a good time was had by all.

I can't believe how quickly time passes, before we know it he'll be off to college!

Happy Birthday, Big A! We love you!