Flashback Friday: Birthdays (Late)

I am participating in another Flashback Friday.  If you would like to participate or visit the host of this awesome weekly event, then go on over to Christopher and Tia. :)

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Since Johnny turned three yesterday and we had his first 3rd birthday party last weekend (his second one will be with family when we go back home to visit this week), I figured I would do a Flashback Friday of Johnny's past birthdays/birthday parties.  All two of them. :) I really enjoy planning Johnny's birthday parties ahead of time and making as much of the party stuff as I can, and I have the most fun decorating the cupcakes and cakes.  The planning usually starts a month or two beforehand when I start deciding what theme I want to do for his party and then I brainstorm ideas of things to make or do.  Every year I get a little better at it and I hope to continue to get better at it.  I'll really enjoy it when I have more children and can do it more than once a year too. :) 

Johnny's 1st Birthday

Summer 2008

Johnny's actual birthday landed during the week and we had his party on the following weekend.  On his birthday, John had to work, so I spent the day with him.  I took him to get ice cream at my cousin's ice cream shop (which has become a tradition) and we just had a fun day together.  My parents came over in the evening and let Johnny open a present from them before the birthday party (giant LEGOs which he loved).  For the birthday party, we did a Sesame Street theme since Johnny really loved it at the time (he still does) and it is an easy theme to do for a first birthday party.  For this party I bought Sesame Street decorations and invitations online instead of making them, because this was all new territory for me and I wasn't sure if I could get it all done.  I did stamp information inside of the invitations and I made the cupcakes myself.  This was the first time I had ever decorated cupcakes and I think they turned out great!  I love coming up with a theme now and then designing my own cupcakes too for decorating.  Since Johnny loves water and he has a summer birthday, we decided to do outdoor activities and have sprinkler toys.  Unfortunately his birthday party happened to land on a scorching hot week that coincided with some of our sprinklers breaking, so big patches of our lawn died in the back.  It wasn't as soft and green as I wanted for his birthday party, but the kids still had fun!  A bunch of our family showed up for the birthday party.  :)

At The Scoop eating ice cream!

His birthday presents from us on his actual birthday. :)  

He especially loved his giant Cookie Monster and still does! :)

Opening presents from my parents on his actual birthday. :)

Johnny and me on his actual birthday. :)

The birthday invitation. I stamped information inside for the party to personalize it too.

The Sesame Street cupcakes!! :) 
(Bert, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Big Bird, Ernie, and The Count)

The Big Bird balloon kept hanging out on the ceiling.

The teepee that my parents had made for Johnny's birthday!  He has it in his room now and he still loves it two years later. :) 
(And I told you our grass died the week before the party...*sigh*)

A Sesame Street ball pit we bought for the party and still have. 

Johnny's cousin Olive. :) She's wearing the fruit loop necklaces I've made for all of his birthdays.

First of all, yes, I am wearing a Cookie Monster headband.  I tried to get John to wear one too and he wouldn't.  I thought it was festive. :) And the cake is a backup cake my mom bought at the last minute because my Elmo cake didn't turn out great because it stuck to the cake pan sides (it was the first time I had ever done a character cake pan).

Johnny and his birthday cupcake!

He got scared...probably from all the people staring at him, but maybe because of the cupcake.  All I know is he sobbed for about two minutes and never did eat the cupcake.

Opening presents.

Johnny's 2nd Birthday Party
Summer 2009

Johnny's 2nd birthday landed during the week and John had to work again.  So it was just Johnny and me for the day.  I took him to get lunch and ice cream at my cousin's ice cream shop like I did on his first birthday and he got banana ice cream.  Then we went to the movie theater for his very first movie!  We saw Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and he loved it!  We were one of the only people in the movie theater but even so, he behaved so well.  He was so excited for the movie and he sat there and would just say "wow!" whenever the dinosaur came on the screen.  He did end up falling asleep about ten minutes before the end; naptime was naptime for him. :)  We also went shopping and he got a few clothes items.  We also went to a local water park that he loved and he had a blast!  Then we spent the evening with John and my parents and had dinner.  For his birthday party that was held on the following weekend, I did a wild animal theme since Johnny was really into animals at the time. :)  Lots of family and some friends came to his birthday party, and it was a big hit.  This birthday party I tried to make more stuff myself for the party and I had a game since Johnny was a little older.  I also made the cupcakes and cake again this year. :)  All in all it was a fun party and Johnny had a lot of fun with all of his friends and family!  

When he first woke up on his 2nd birthday! :)

Eating banana ice cream at The Scoop on his actual birthday. :)

Before the movie started. :)

After the movie ended.

At the water park. 

Every birthday should end with one wearing their frog boots around the house. :)

The lion invitations I made for the birthday party.  Lions were his favorite animals at the time (except for his Gator lovie).

The smaller cake I made for the birthday party.

The bigger cake I made for the party. (My husband helped me with the grass frosting)  The letters are made out of flattened Starbursts (I wasn't familiar with fondant at the time).  And those are some small animal toys that I cleaned and put on the cake.  Johnny got to keep them afterward. :)

The cupcakes I designed and made!! :) (Monkey, frog, elephant, panda bear, and tiger)

Rhino mask

Frog mask

Elephant mask

Polar Bear mask

Lion mask

Tiger mask

Panda Bear mask

Giraffe mask

Monkey mask

Pin the Tail on the Lion.

The dessert table.

Johnny's cousin Miyo with a giraffe mask

Johnny and daddy with his lion mask :)

Johnny with his great-grandpa (my grandpa)

Johnny with his great-grandpa (John's grandpa)

Johnny's cousin Olive and the frog mask :)

Johnny's cousin Ivy and her Polar Bear mask :)

Johnny's cousin Lian and the elephant mask she made and brought with her! :)

Sprinkler time!

Johnny and his birthday cupcake!  :)

He obviously wasn't afraid of the cupcake this year :)

Our friends and their newborn Chloe :)

Opening presents - he got a lot of presents, especially dinosaurs! :)

I really have a lot of fun putting on Johnny's birthday parties!  If you would like to see Johnny's Toy Story theme 3rd birthday party from this past weekend, then click here.  If you would like to see how he spent his 3rd birthday, click here.  And stay tuned for his Dinosaur theme birthday party that we will be having next weekend when we are home visiting family. :)