It Began with a BBFT: A year of Battles Birthdays--my birthday catch up

I sat down to write a post about the twins 6th birthday but as I looked back at my list of posts I realized that I never wrote one about their 5th birthday or Jack's 1st birthday (really?, forgot to do that one?) or Ben's third birthday. Since this blog is basically for future Heather to relive these little years I need to include those to have a sense of completion.

So here it is, a year in birthdays.

Grace and Lydia's 5th birthday

We had their annual backyard birthday bash (and let me put a plug in here for September birthdays or weddings for that matter--we have never had anything but perfect weather) and this year we rented a bounce house. I don't really want to be that parent with an over the top birthday but I have my reasons for the bounce house. Hear me out. The girls are still at the age that we can have a kid/parent party and since their friends' parents are also our close friends the party is just a big bash for kids and adults alike. So, the bounce house A. keeps the kids happy and out of the parents hair B. keeps me from having to plan and implement party games and C. Is truly a blast for the kids and the adults. win-win-win. This was our first bound house experience and we rented the most tacky one possible. A giant pink and purple castle. Sadly I never got a good shot of it but you can imagine. Lydia had her first broken arm so we tried to cover her cast with water wings to protect the other kids from her rock arm. It didn't go over all that well but no one was hurt so no harm no foul. The theme was princess-superhero party and the kids were supposed to come dressed as your favorite princess or superhero (the girls are the theme masters; I am typically anti-theme). Yes, I made those capes--a very atypical heather move there that I did not repeat for year 6.

We are 5! (notice the water wings)

Lydia demonstrating her cape

A little glimpse of the bounce house behind super Ben

Cake time!

Heading out for breakfast for their actual birthday.

Hit present was the toy bow and arrows

Lydia mastered it even with her broken arm

Jack's First Birthday

My feelings on the first birthday party is this--it is a celebration of survival. It is a party that involves all your friends and family that have helped you survive this first year (although that should mean a gala should be thrown after year 2 since that can surely be a year of losing your mind). So, it is really about the parents celebrating this milestone and a little bit about a toddler getting cake all over themselves. So I have trito make it a big party for each of our kids despite the birth order. I don't do a theme or anything. Just lots of people that love us and love our little one --and lots of food of course. So I have tried to make it a big party for each of our kids despite the birth order. Jack's first birthday was no different--and we have pictures to prove it.

Traditional birthday breakfast at Northstar.

The birthday boy waiting for his cloud nine pancakes

A cake practice round on his actual birthday

Getting ready for the cake

Love the crying pic. Can't remember what he's crying about.

He sort of liked the cake. That big chunk out of it was compliments of his sisters (see pic below). He didn't obliterate it like his big brother did but definitely showed more gusto about it than the twins did on their first birthday.

I don't think we have had a picture with just him since the delivery room :)

Benson's Third Birthday

Three is when you really start to care about birthdays. He was looking forward to it for weeks before it and was crazy with joy and excitement on the day of his party. Since he is a winter birthday we had a cozy indoor party with his favorite food as a feature--mac n cheese and a giant cake from costco. He loves everything John Deere thanks to my Dad and his tractor so we surprised him with a kids sized tractor which he loved. His reaction was priceless and the video is pretty hilarious.