Baylor's 4th Birthday ... Part Two!

After being postponed because of illness, we finally had Baylor's birthday on the 16th.  We lucked out with a beautiful day and were thankful that nearly everyone invited to the first party could make it to the second.

I will admit, I am not overly adept at throwing parties; most of the time I struggle just to keep the house looking moderately presentable, so throwing in decorations and extra attention to cleanliness and special food and the like is entirely overwhelming to me.  Lucky for me,  I have an amazing sister who is up for making Pinterest-worthy creations for my kids' birthday parties.  Take the cupcakes, for example ...

She made those little toppers out of candy melts, Lego molds, and a lot of patience.  She even had a whole plate of extra candies for the guests to enjoy!

Bryson got the vegetables ready, bless his heart, while I snapped a few pictures.

And Aunt Christine got to show Baylor his long-awaited birthday cupcakes.  Lemon cake with buttercream frosting, chosen by our very own little man.

With all of the children at our kids' parties getting older, we were a little worried we wouldn't have much for them to do at our mainly outdoor party.  My mom suggested having an arts and crafts project for them do to, and I thought it was a great idea.  Since most of the planning for the party occurred during the back-to-school frenzy, we picked up some inexpensive pencil boxes for the kids to decorate with foam stickers of various shapes, sizes, and colors.  Aunt Christine and Oma helped supervise, as did the kids' parents, and I think everyone really enjoyed it.

The birthday boy and his box ...

... amazingly symmetrical, isn't it?

We ordered Papa John's pizza and breadsticks for lunch, after which we opened presents.  Soon enough, it was time to enjoy the cupcakes.  As per usual, Baylor did not want to be sung to on his birthday, so he blew out a candle, made a wish, and we got down to the business of eating cupcakes.

Coming up with fun party favors for all the little kids in attendance is always a challenge as the ages range from newborn to six years-old, but I thought what we came up with this year was kind of fun.  My sister and I (but mostly my sister ...) made Lego crayons for the kiddos.  She helped me find this inexpensive mold online, figured out the best way to melt the crayons, and did most of the work of actually making them.  The mold was a little warped when we got it, but the crayons came out great anyway!

The party was, by and large, a success.  And hey, if we have another Lego-themed party next year we'll be set!