The Craig Zone

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANT MAN

My precious baby boy just turned 5. I want to say "Where oh where did the time go"... but I think I remember it pretty well. We've had a full and happy five years and I've love ALMOST every minute of them.

Grant wanted a Star Wars birthday party.... I wanted a small family celebration. We kind of compromised and were going to have a small family star wars birthday party, but everything kind of morphed and turned into something completely different. BUT it was still a lot of fun.

We started early in the week making a pinata after I saw one in the store for $25, YIKES! We ended up making this one together without too much effort for a whooping $4 . I think R2D2 turned out pretty great!!! Even though it seems like he would be the most involved creation of the party, the stinkin... I mean um, awesome cake turned out to be my true nemesis. It was made up of three cake rolls which I had to re-make because they kept cracking apart on me. Then we had to get a giant sturdy board to put it all together on and find a way to spread the super delicious frosting without getting all the cake crumbles in it. It took me way longer than it should have considering that it was a fairly simple design... but it finally came out alright. Grant and the cousins had a great time putting the little characters all around it.

So, party day. People came,and all the kids went out to roast marshmallows on the little campfire we had out back. The intention was that at least half of the party would be spent outside gathered around the campfire cooking hot dogs and smores. Breaking open the pinata and running around wild. :) However, because of crazy unplanned time restraints we kind of let the kids do smores first, skipped the healthy food, broke open the pinata and then went inside.

The pinata was super fun because everyone (except my little Avery) that was in line got to take a turn and Harrison finally broke it. All the kids ran in to collect their bounty of glow sticks, punch balls, party horns, ring pops and other fun candy. Then David yelled, "Go get it, beat up R2D2" and all the boys took of kicking and stomping the poor robot.... Boys!! Of course after the robot was torchered it was torched! Yep they threw that R2 unit in the fire and watched it burn.

After that we corralled everyone inside and Grant got to open a present (because these particular guests had to leave) when low and behold. ... a Marshmallow Gun. Yep, a gun that shoots marmallows. The boys quickly learned that these can be launched into one anothers' mouths and Viola, more sugar.

The party continued with real food (finally) then cake, then more presents, and right on cue a sugar coma that planted the boys right in front of the Wii next to a warm roaring fire in the basement. They battled each other in the virtual world until parents came and friends left. It was a pretty great day.