Last weekend was no exception.
Since it doesn't always work out the birthday falls on weekends, we usually end up celebrating each of our boys birthdays a bit on their actual birthday and then have a big party the weekend following.
The festive feeling can carry over the course of a few days.
Thus far we've never once had any complaints about this from our boys...though their future wives might have a few things to say about it when they realize their husbands expect the royal treatment around their birthdays.
As per Jeff's longstanding family tradition, on their actual birthday we let them choose what they want for each meal of the day. Judah specifically requested pancakes for breakfast and pizza for dinner.
By pancakes, he really meant cupcakes.
More specifically the strawberry cupcakes that I'd baked en masse the day before so that he could take some into his Awana class. Then kept baking so that I'd have enough for the class I teach and his upcoming party. Hence the sheer numbers of them.
8 dozen cupcakes in three flavors, baked in near triple digit fall temperatures.
I was so tired from it that for his birthday dinner we went out to eat.
This way Judah could have his pizza...and we didn't have to.
The birthday boy was totally cool with this idea.
We even let him blow a dollar on some games in the arcade.
Friday night we spent at the football game where Jeff made a special announcement for Judah's birthday over the loudspeaker.
Saturday was spent at an awards ceremony which was held at a restaurant, the whole event having a very festive air to it all. It happened that 3 people in that group, Judah included, were celebrating birthdays that weekend and so they were called to the front and we all sang Happy Birthday to them.
Judah had been having such fun with his little friends there that I'm pretty sure he walked away thinking that whole night was all about him, too. But again, nobody was complaining.
Silly me, if I'd been on top of my game, we might have gotten by without needing a party at all!
However, we'd already been hard at work putting together his Dino themed party, and weren't about to let all that hard work go to waste. No siree!
Not when we had Dino Dig boxes to look forward to... [click to enlarge]
Or all the other great dino-themed party favors:
Not counting the printing ink or cardstock (which I already had on hand)...these dollar store dinos were pretty inexpensive party favors for the big group of cousins and friends that were coming.
Big popsicle sticks turned these colored print-outs into cute masks.
Then there were super cheap photo-copied coloring pages
And the fruit snacks in dino shapes purchased on sale weeks ahead.
Not to mention the cupcakes.
Three out of four people surveyed in my home thought they turned out "awesome".
Finally, after church on Sunday it was time for the big party!
Friends and relatives arrived.
Right about then was when things spiraled into one big blur of activity.
We did manage to get a few pictures, however.
There was the bounce house
Then the Archaeological Dig for Dinosaur bones.
The cupcakes were a huge hit with the kids. Especially Judah, who had been chomping at the bit to get at those sour-filled gum eggs for a couple of days.
We also had the usual run-of-the-mill party animals in attendance
I must confess that Oscar Mayer (the weiner dog) wasn't actually at this party...but I couldn't resist including this photo here amongst other party animals (it's my party and I'll...put his picture in this post if I want to).
There were also a couple of party poopers...little tykes that pooped out after a while.
And one little guest even partied til he...well, lets just say that too much sugar followed by a long stint in the bounce house are probably not the best combination.
But the Birthday boy was delighted with his party
Now please excuse me while I go rest for the next week or two...this mama is all partied out.
