Stephen is Five!

We played it really low key for Stephen’s birthday this year.  After the major Superman themed party last year, his blue lady bug cake was an easy request.  We didn’t serve dinner and only a little bit of our family came (we celebrated on a weeknight).  It was so peaceful and fun.  He didn’t even care that there was not a big deal.

 

So, the blue lady bug cake…

Stephen absolutely INSITED on having a lady bug cake.  We tried to convince him to go with something a little more masculine…not a chance.  He wanted a ladybug cake because he loves playing with the ladybugs we have in our “garden.”  I guess it is a sign of him growing up.  His opinion is not so easily swayed by us anymore.  We used to be able to change his mind pretty easily.  Luckily, he decided at the last minute to have it be a blue ladybug, which of course makes it a boy.  He picked out those awful awesome orange cupcakes with ants on them to share with his friends at school since he could only share “store bought” cupcakes.  (BTW – the “sell by”  date on those cupcakes was sometime in December…uhhhhh).  We used the extras to help play up the “bug” theme and added in some gummy worms and bugs for good measure.  I think it made for a great “big boy turning five” look instead of “baby’s first birthday” that a ladybug cake generally brings to mind. 

Opening his first gift…

 

Art supplies – including construction paper, pipe cleaners, his own roll of scotch tape, new crayons, tongue depressors, several notebooks, and the “super glue stick” he has seen on TV.  He wasn’t very happy that it wasn’t a “toy” but my feelings weren’t hurt.  I knew that once the novelty of the new toys wore off he would be back to his obsession of making “projects.”  I was right! 

 

Getting ready to blow out the candles…

 

This is one of those birthdays when you cringe a little as you watch him blow out the candles…he had a cold and you kind of worry about the germs….

 

There is a lot of smoke left in the air after blowing out FIVE candles!

 

Stephen is thrilled to be five.  A lot of things change when you are five.  Some are good like being allowed to get his own drinks at Grandmas’ houses and some are not so good, like having to take five more bites of something instead of four….  We are sure glad that Stephen is five too.  He is growing up so fast and he is so much fun.  He is a very creative kid and is incredibly smart.  I love my Stephen!

 

Precious:  The morning after his birthday I was on the phone with the electric company and he snuck up next to me and whispered in my free ear, “Mommy, I’m still five!”  I loved the excitement and delight in his sweet voice and I hope to always remember the way he sounded at that moment.