Birthday Party, Take Two

It wasn't our intention to have two birthday parties for James, but THIS party had to be postponed due to a festival happening down the street and therefore a lack of parking, etc SO here we are having his original birthday party, one week later.

Bugs were the theme and the kids ate it up. Literally.

That is James' friend Max and I don't know what they are NOT feeding the kids in that household, but here is his sister Clara!

I lined James' play table with Press N Seal and filled it with "dirt." (12 chocolate cakes, baked and then thrown in the food processor) and hid gummi bugs and worms inside. The point was that the kids would dig in the dirt and get the bugs & worms and then eat those, but clearly, they were more intrigued by the dirt.

Our GREAT friends, the Bruces came in for the festivities and I immediately put them to work blowing up balloons and creating this big bug hut (the tent and table a loaner from neighbor Karen).

10 kids took part in the bugfest. They each got a bug house and bug hunting hat when they arrived.

James & Virginia Bruce waiting for guests to arrive. Yes, I know that is an ADORABLE dress on Virginia. Just wait, you'll be seeing it on Molly in a just a few short years.

Look familiar? James finds a worm in the dirt.

We also hid about 40 plastic bugs all around the courtyard. Kids were supposed to find them and then put them in their bug houses and take them home. At the end of the day, I think I owned about 36 plastic bugs.

James likes to keep them in his room so I usually have a small heart attack every morning when I think there is a large cockroach/centipede/praying mantis/stag beetle on his bed.

This was "decorate your own bug cakes."

Lazy or brilliant?

Despite the activities, the cake, and the bug shaped snacks, James spent most of his time on the "phone" - the bottle opener attached to the drink tubs.

Happy birthday big boy. You crazy loon.