Birthday Party - Part 1

Last Saturday, we had the Birthday Party for Benjamin and Isabella. This was their first birthday celebration with friends and they were so excited! Their first birthday, we celebrated with our dear Kansas Grandma and our dear neighbors Misty and Josh and last year, we didn't know anyone to celebrate with here in Yuma, so we were on our own with just us in the family. This  year, they have been invited to a party and gotten to know a few friends, and it was nice to be able to have some of them over. I took a lot of pictures, so I will have to break up the party in two entries to not make it too long!

For their birthday, I had bought an Inflatable Bouncer and they had not yet seen it. It got too late on their birthday so we decided to wait until the party for the BIG surprise. During the morning, when I had decorated the patio with balloons and party stuff, they were playing inside and didn't get to come out to see what I had done. Just before our guests arrived, I plugged the fan in, and the bouncer inflated in just a few minutes. When the guests were all here, we opened the patio doors, and the kids stormed out. They were so excited and so happy. Not understanding that this was theirs and here to stay. They thought that I had borrowed it somewhere for their party only! The kids hurried up to take shoes off, and one child had to put all his "knightly attire" to the side for the jumping!

C'mon Bella - let's jump!

 

 

Isabella with from the left : Tenley (2), Naomi (3) and Katherine (3)

Jump!!

 

 

Not so easy to blow the whistle!

After all the jumping, the kids were hot and sweaty, it was a hot afternoon, so it was perfect for them to quickly change into swim wear and cool off in the pool and play with the water table for a while before the snacks. As all kids love to play with water, this was a given hit! I had a little concern before hand that it might be too tight in the small pool with 6 little ones, but they did good and played nice. Cassie and Tea's older siblings Andrew and Oria, decided to stay inside and hang out when the little kids were busy outside. They only came out to pick up some snacks later on. Therefore not so many pictures of the older kids.

Naomi, Katherine, Isabella, Benjamin, Tea and Tenley

Plask Plask!

Sisters

I made it on camera! 

My friend S snapped a picture of me and Isabella coming out of the pool.

Need to drink a lot in the heat!! 

I had named all the cups and given all the kids different colors to try to avoid which cup belongs to who..

After the pool and changing over into dry clothes again, it was time for snacks and drinks. We had filled bowls of two colored melon balls and grapes and the kids ate a lot before even starting with the cookies and cupcakes. In the heat, we couldn't keep the cupcakes at the table for very long so they probably thought that's all that there is!

My friend Holly with her youngest daughter Taylor on the hip, checking on her other daughters Tenley and Naomi. Busy mama for sure with three little ones!

Then finally the cupcakes were taken out and lit by Katherine's dad that stood close by. 

Therefore Isabella's shy look leaning away from his hand (and from the lighter!)

Chocolate cupcake for Ben and Strawberry/Vanilla cupcake for Isabella!

Happy Birthday to you...Happy Birthday to you....

Happy Birthday Ben and Bella....Happy Birthday to you!!

Waiting to blow out the candles!

Yummy!

Some wanted a napkin for the smallest trace of frosting on their hands...

...while others enjoyed the cupcake to the fullest! She is such a sweetheart!

 The cupcakes!

Instead of a cake I had bought different cupcakes in mini format. Pink/Vanilla, Pink/Chocolate, Green/Vanilla and Blue/Chocolate. They were really good, but as always WAY too much frosting. I had planned for the kids to eat at least two each, but after all the fruit and cookies, they weren't that hungry anymore, plus they were all excited to get inside and check out the presents.

That part of the party, I'll write about tomorrow, as it will be way too long to continue here.

Thank You!

I would like to say thank you so much to you who have taken the time and written to me about Benjamin's doctor's visit. It is always so nice to hear from you readers, and to read a comment here and there. That you take time to comment and write something encouraging, comforting and well wishes for my son, is very nice! So again - Thank you!

Today, Thursday, he is doing much better. He is still taking his antibiotics of course, it's twice a day for ten days and I'm glad that he is taking the medicine without any problems. Normally it's hard to even get him (or Isabella for that matter) to take any Tylenol or anything without spitting and crying, so I was a bit worried how this would work out for so long. Luckily it must taste good, it's pink and smells like strawberries..:)

My sweet son that tonight also ate better than normal. If you ever have had a child that is a picky eater, refuses to eat anything and everything, that doesn't eat more than a bite and this is a constant battle - you can understand how excited I was when he finished his plate!

What he ate? Pasta sprinkled with a lot of pixie dust (Parmesan cheese), coins (hotdog slices) that needed to be put away in the treasure chest (his stomach) and spoons full of gold (corn). I guess I have to serve up another Pirate meal tomorrow's dinner!

Brave Boy

After the late lunch and picking up the medicine, Ben was allowed to pick out a toy for being so brave. Never before has that happened - never before has he been able to "pick anything", and he didn't know what to do! I tried not to help him out too much, but showed him into the isle where I thought that he would find something, and I was right! The isle where all the knight and pirate stuff was filling the shelves. He first looked at a Castle with knights, and I thought that he would pick that one, but then he happened to see some of the Jake and the Neverland Pirate's stuff, and he found the perfect toy. He is totally into Jake and also Peter Pan, and here he finds a "Skull Island Play set" that goes together with the play set with Jake that he already has here at home! He was so excited!!

Look Mamma - Peter Pan!

I also showed him that there was a second Play set with Captain Hook, but no, Peter Pan was the one!

It was also interesting to see that Isabella not at all questioned or threw a tantrum that SHE didn't get to pick anything out. She totally understood that Ben was going to get something because he had been so brave at the Doctor's office. Poor Ben, she kept saying. Poor Ben...The screaming and crying had an impact on her for sure!

When we came home, we spent some hours playing with his new toys, and he was doing pretty good. Not wanting you to touch it or to come close to his leg, but running around and playing anyway.

A proud brave little boy!

This is how his leg looked after the bath last night. I need to check and to clean the wound every day of course, and that wasn't fun..He was crying and not wanting me near his leg. But with a little distraction, I soon had it cleaned and new bandage on. I was also happy to have a boy that seem to understand the severeness of taking his medicine. Normally he would throw a tantrum but now he actually takes his antibiotics twice a day. I'm so grateful!!

Tonight, it looks even better, and over the day, it hasn't been coming out any more pus, and the bandage was clean from this morning, so that's a good sign. Cleaned everything off again and put a new one on before bedtime.