Ben is 5!!

My youngest, Benjamin, turned 5 on April 6th. I threw him his first birthday party with friends and he had a great time. First, he and I made a fun cake. Then, we spent an hour decorating the house with streamers and balloons. My dang house is so big, one hour of decorations isn't enough and looks a little lame. Even though we hung up 6 rolls of streamers, it looked sparse. Next year I'll take photos and show you what I'm talking about.

When his friends arrived, they piled up his presents. This was my favorite, from Ben's cousin Ashton. What a creative little guy. That's Yoda saying, "For You, this is!" in case you can't read it.

We gave out Star Wars invitations, but the party was Sports Themed. Sports themed parties are easier to plan games for and make cakes for, that's for sure. I've learned that whatever invites you give, those generally are the kind of presents your kids get. They're like a little "clue" for mommies.

It worked well. Ben adored ALL his presents and was so thrilled to get some from his friends. We'd been practicing what he should do after opening gifts all week. He performed very well, adding his own quirky touch. As soon as he opened a gift, he'd say, "Here I come Aiden, with your thank you hug!" or "Watch out Nathan, I'm gonna hug you!" He had a funny little one-liner for each buddy. I enjoyed watching him tackle and hug each friend, knowing next year he'll be too old to hug his pals.

I told all the boys to be serious for the first picture. Colton (the moving little blur) just couldn't restrain himself. Ben thought "Serious" meant "Grumpy," apparently. Four of these little boys will be in his Kindergarten class next year. Two are one year older than Ben, but they are his HEROS! His little cousin Marcus (in the orange pants) came and did well at a big boy party.

The two big boys in the front are Ben's brother Josh and Josh's best friend, Drake. When I asked Ben who he wanted at his party he listed off all of Josh's friends, and his 2 boy cousins. I had to remind him that he has friends his own age. But he was ADAMANT that we invite Drake. Since Drake is his BEST FRIEND. Drake was a good sport about it. He came a little early for the party and I put him and Josh to work cleaning the house and getting things ready for the games. I appreciate him.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little boy, Ben. He lights up our lives and brings a lot of laughter and joy to our home. He is spunky, funny, intelligent and sweet. He is considerate and kind. I am proud to be his mom and I love him very much.