Caleb's Birthday

If it's really the thought that matters, let's just say that this party would have been awesome. As it ended up, it was exactly what it needed to be, and Caleb loved it.

We have had a tradition around here to have big parties. Either the entire family is around, or the whole church is invited. However, following the advice of my mother, I decided that a party for a 3-yr-old needed to have three guests. I invited 5, but only 3 could make it, so it worked out just fine.

Caleb was pretty determined that he wanted a train party. He would even mention the train cake that I made for him last year! I couldn't believe he still remembered it!

I didn't particularly mind doing another train party. It was, after all, his party. But it would be fun to do something else, so occasionally I'd ask him about something else. Underwater? Explorer? Dinosaur? Castle?

Well, at the mention of Castle, he changed his tune. A castle party! Yes!

This boy loves kings and queens. His blanket is--among other things--his majestic robe. And how cool could a castle party be?!

 
First order of the party: the cake. Let's just say we had more than a few difficulties with it. What should have been a castle with turrets looked more like a hippo gone belly-up. And the inside was a mine of toothpicks.

My fork is there to keep the turret from falling.

I didn't know what to do. His party was going to be after church on Sunday, and it was 9pm on Saturday, so it wasn't like I could order a castle cake on such short notice. In short, I gave it up for lost. I told Caleb that I really tried to make him a castle cake, but that it just wasn't going to happen. I let him eat one of the turrets the night before his birthday, and let the others fall off.

When the turrets fell off, things started looking better. I decided to tweak it, add some flags for visual distraction, and it seemed to work! Caleb loved it! I will never make it big with my cake decorating skills, but as long as my boys are happy, it's fine by me.

On to the party! Our first order of business was to make a crown for everyone...moms included!

Posterboard and glitter sheets with adhesive backing cut into shapes. Tada! No glue, and no wait time for the kids to wear them!

Beth and John

Maggie and Amber

Tyler

Caleb, Tyler, Adrienne

Then it was time for a game. We played Pin the Tail on the Dragon. Which the kids were all for except for the covered eyes part. Tyler did it, but everyone else thought they should just put their tail on the dragon they way they wanted. Worked for me!

 

 By the end of the game, there were six tails all around the dragon. Two were wings, the kids told me. Of course, every dragon has wings!

On to the cake! No one let the sub=par decorating stop them from eating it!

 

 The men (Zach with his daughter Lauren, and Jon with Adrienne's boy, Jake) doing bottle duty.

Caleb opened his presents before cake, and I was thankful for the small number of kids. Just a few gifts was just right. He plays with each of them very often, which is great. Here is his new play=doh set.

I had ordered books to give as party favors. The books, of course, came in the day after the party. So we passed them out with our thanks. The book was called "Good Night, Good Knight" and is a funny book for new readers about a knight who has to get 3 little dragons ready for bed.

I think it was a great party overall. Caleb loved it and his friends had fun. He may, however, not be requesting a castle cake next year!

(James, by the way, slept through the entire party, if you were wondering where he was in the pics!)