Mikey Turns 5!

In preparation for Mikey's 5th Birthday I wanted to do a photo shoot with him.  He was all game when I told him he could dress up as Darth Vader, but then he wanted nothing to do with the clothes, hair or location that I tough would be fun for regular pictures, so finally I threw in the towel and told him he could choose.

I was able to get a couple cute ones, there would have been more but I lack skill!

 On his actual Birthday he requested Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast.

And since he loves Popcorn I found a Birthday Cake Popcorn Recipe for him to take to preschool. (It was not my favorite, but actually tasted way better by the second day.)

We had my Sister, Niece, and Nephew over that night for Birthday Cinnamon Rolls.  (I know maybe I'm lame to do them for breakfast and dessert but I made a ton, and I knew he was getting cake later that week.)

They spoiled him with fun presents!

This year I decided to let Mikey have his first ever friend party.  I have never done one so I knew I wanted it to be small and manageable.  The combination of kids and food inside usually can send me over the crazy edge so I knew a small group would be a must.  Mikey has been set on having a Darth Vader Star Wars Birthday party since his last Birthday.  I figured he would change his mind at some point doting the year but he didn't.

I went right to work on his Birthday Party preparations as soon as the Holidays were over.  There were MANY late nights.  But he was SO happy with the end result and I think the party was fun.
Storm Trooper Cup Cakes:

R2D2 Water:

The Death Star (This seriously took me hours....I'm tight with crayola markers now.)  Why would I spend so much time on something like this?  I gave him the option of a piñata or a lantern that he could then hang in his room.  He chose the lantern.

Of course you have to have Tie Fighters.  This was a Pinterest idea that looked super easy.  WRONG they were not as easy as the tutorial made them look.

Banner, sign, Death Star, Birthday chair....

Anyone who has a little boy probably knows about or has a pool noodle light saber.  They are fast and  easy to make, relatively cheap, and virtually harmless.  The problem is I had waited and  now it was the dead of winter, just try to find pool noodles in the dead of winter in the Northwest. So I pulled out my trusty sewing machine and whipped out these bad boys.

We also had a target window set up for Nerf Guns. 

This was by far the boys favorite activity.

 The best group picture of them is when I told them to all pick up the balloon they liked the LEAST!  That is right the least.  I was going to have them pop it and I knew they wouldn't want to if they liked it. (I swear they were having fun even though they don't look so happy here.  This is just the face you get from boys when you make them stop all the fun for a picture, do they ever grow out of it?)

I printed out a huge print of the picture I took of Mikey as Darth Vader.  When the kids arrived we played pin the light saber on Darth Vader. (That is what those red strips are.)  Then I took the picture outside and told the boys there was a bad guy that they needed to  destroy armed them each with a can of silly string and let them at him.

 When the games were done they were excited to eat.  Pizza and apples anyone?  It made me giggle Mikey and a couple of the boys were having a contest of who could eat the most apple slices.  Who can argue with that?

 We hurried and sang and had cupcakes but didn't even have time to open gifts.  Mikey loved every second and was so thankful for everything that it made all the late nights worth it.  

Happy Birthday Little Man we are so glad you are a part of our family!