We had Gray's party on Saturday night. Usually we have daytime parties, but Brad was working on the front entrance of our neighborhood, so we moved it to 5pm. Sarah and my mom arrived early enough to help with decorations, while I was at another party with Luke for a school friend. The usuals showed up: Ron & Freda, Aunt Jana & Uncle Stuart, Grand Pink, Cousin Mindy, Aunt Ann, Brent & Susan with Olivia (the triplets had to study for finals), Grandmama Pat, Sarah, Alf, Hannah, Sophia. My dad was having trouble with arthritis and had to cancel, but hopefully can make it in two weeks for Luke's party.
We have this birthday thing down to a science. I do a themed invitation in Publisher (and now just email it instead of printing & mailing), either Freda bakes the cake or I order it at HEB using the same design as the invite for the decoration, I buy theme napkins and then use whatever solid color plates are around, Jana & Stuart run by Costco and grab some pizzas, I throw some streamers up in the dining room, pick up a dozen balloons at HEB, and voila! DONE. I know someday I will hear about how every other kid gets a bouncy house and well-planned games and a pinata and goody bags, but honestly, I'm just not prepared to enter the Birthday Party Thunderdome. If the boys have "theme" parties up to the age of, say, 12, that's still 48 birthday parties. That's a lot of stinkin' goody bags. I just choose not to compete, much to their future chagrine. And until the start literally begging to invite friends from school, we will keep having our just perfect family parties. I mean, seriously, it's not like we have a shortage of cousins to play with.
Since it was our first "nighttime" party, the kids took full advantage and grabbed all the working flashlights in the house (including the mini headlamp ones out of the "secret agent" tote) and just ran around the back yard in utter darkness screaming like banshees. Aside from Luke running into the shelving unit on the porch so hard it knocked all the flower pots off the top shelf, a fun time was had by all.
Gray received his set of flags from my mom that flew over the Alamo on his birth date (a special tradition all four of the boys have gotten), some books, and some darling clothes from Mindy & Freda. It was just right - heaven knows we don't need more toys, and sometimes the kids get so overwhelmed if there are too many gifts to open.
Here are some photos - no time for cute captions, as Brad is already done with his chores and I haven't started mine.
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