Birthday boy

This week flew by! It's been a week since Joel turned six, and I'm just now sitting down to write about it.
He was all business on his birthday, from making sure he used the "celebration" plate in the morning for breakfast (had to change from oatmeal to eggs and toast to accommodate) to making sure he had the proper number of cookies to take with him to school to share with his class. I wondered a couple times that day if he was enjoying his birthday or just worrying that it wasn't going to be quite right. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it. :) We celebrated Friday evening as a family.














He loved the camouflage Star Wars cupcakes I made for that night and for his friend party the next day. He is obsessed with Star Wars and Legos right now, thanks to the Wii game he got at Christmas, and that was the theme this year. Greg borrowed the Star Wars movies from Eric, and he and the kids watched all six movies in the week prior to Joel's birthday party. Yes, I know that's too much movie watching,and yes, they were a little young for some parts, but it's a memory the older two, for sure, will carry with them. Hopefully, Aubrey won't have nightmares. :) She was a huge fan of the ewoks. I think that's all she'll remember from it anyway.

playing with Joel's new Beyblades (fancy tops that fight each other)

 Saturday was a busy day for Joel. It began with his birthday breakfast with Grandpa (not the greatest photo of Joel, I know, but it shows he was there with Grandpa).









He ate a BIG breakfast and was very happy when he came home.

A couple hours later he and Greg left to go to Wunderland (nickel arcade) with a bunch of his friends and their dads. It was Greg's idea, and it was such a good one. The boys had a blast, and the dads enjoyed it, too. The kids were kept busy for an hour and a half, and they weren't running wild in my house--the perfect 6-year-old boy party!

A few hours later, it was time for his family party. We had 29 people here that night. It was fun to have Uncle Merlin, Aunt Brenda, and Warren and his girlfriend, Jackie here with us that night. They were in town for the weekend and were able to join us. It's so great to have the space to entertain larger groups of people.


We helped the kids make their own light sabers (pipe insulation foam and duct tape--thank you, Pinterest) , and they battled all evening.































Greg and I made a "Death Star" pinata for the kids. I used about 2 paper mache layers too many. It was one tough pinata! At least everyone got a couple tries since it didn't crack on the first hit. :) Now I know for next time.






I like his smile here while we were singing to him.
Had to document our "Yoda Soda" (limeade, Sprite, and lime sherbet) and the sign Kari made. It was quite a hit. As you can see, there was none left by the time I got around to taking a picture.

It was busy birthday weekend, but it was all worth it. Joel enjoyed every bit of it, something we haven't always been able to say about past birthdays. There were a few years in a row where he shed tears on his birthday, just feeling overwhelmed by it all, I think. This year, though, he was happy, in his own reserved way, to be the center of attention, and that was fun to see.

A little about six-year-old you, Joel:
--Your favorite color is still orange, but you also really like camo, too.
--You like to give gifts. This last Christmas you thought of gifts for all your siblings and wrapped them yourself to put under the tree. When Grandpa took you out for your birthday breakfast and to the Dollar Tree afterwards, you picked out just the right gifts for your brother and sisters before you picked out your own items.
--You love going to school and are doing very well in kindergarten-- independent, responsible, and confident at school.
--You love playing on the computer (especially PBS kids) and love playing the Wii. We've had to set some limits to keep you well-balanced. :)
--You are learning to read. You've been reading the Bob books and have experienced the wonder of being able to read a book by yourself. So exciting!

We are proud of you, Joel, and proud of the good qualities we see in you. You're kind-hearted, a good friend and playmate, and you are careful in the decisions you make. We look forward to watching you grow and learn this next year. We love you, Joel-boy!