Happy Birthday, Ollie! You're Five Now!

Ollie's birthday was actually last Saturday but today is the day we celebrated it! I really wanted to go big this year for our little "Olfers" since he has made some great little friends here in Washington and because I knew that a big-boy party with all his friends would make him feel super special. I decided on a Lego theme and browsed around on Pinterest for some fun Lego-inspired party ideas last week. This week, even though I caught the flu (yuck!), I was able to get all my little birthday crafts done just in time! Yay.

Merrit was my little helper; he stayed behind to help me decorate and clean the house for the party while Mike took Ollie out for lunch (by request: noodles) and a birthday trip to the Lego store.

The birthday boy is ready for lunch at Pagliacci Pizza and Pasta.

Rotini! Look how big this boy is getting!

Lunch out with Dad was a treat in and of itself. :)

Ollie has literally been looking forward to this
shopping trip for more than a month!

Assembling Lego mini figures...

Nanny and Papa pitched in for this Star Wars X-Wing Lego kit that Ollie
has been wanting.

Yeah, he's THAT excited! :)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I rolled up and tied with ribbon all the T-shirts that I made yesterday (freezer-
paper-stencils) for our party guests. These are going in the goodie bags. :)

Merrit and I hung the banner I made earlier this week.

Decorating with "found objects": a wooden puzzle from Ollie's great aunt
Frances and great uncle Jr. and a handwritten birthday message to
Ollie on our well-worn MagnaDoodle.

Merrit also helped set up for our party games. Here's the
"Guess How Many?" station. Answer: 73.

We also set up a "Photo Booth Fun" station.
(Is it just me or do I look SNL's Rachel Dratch?)

Merrit and I hung streamers and balloons and set up a couple other games.
Merrit blew up all the balloons himself!

Inside the gift bags: Punch balloons, T-shirts, Lego-shaped candy,
Skittles in Lego-head jars (painted babyfood jars; cute, right?), and
a Lego mini figure to build.

Our gift to Ollie. A Lego table for the playroom.

Our guests started arriving at 1:00pm and one of the first things they
did was to draw faces on these square paper plates. Just an activity to keep 'em busy!

Ollie and Mike arrived at 1:15. Ollie didn't know that he was having a
party! He was super surprised when he came in and found all his friends
waiting for him! Here, all the kids are playing a game where they have
to use a straw to move as many Legos from the table to their paper plate
as they can (using suction only...no hands) in one minute. The winner:
Brennan, with nine Legos.

The birthday boy. Oh my, he's a cute one!!

Aidan and Merrit focused on the goal.

We played two more rounds of the game. Left to right: Brennan, Gabe, Sammy.

Yesterday my friend Mindy came over and put the fondant icing (is that redundant?)
on the cake. It rocks...I couldn't wait for Ollie to see it! Thanks, Mindy!!

Our little friend Colin digs in.

Ollie and Noah eating cake. It's chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Mmm.

After cake, we played another game. We brought one of
our two cornhole boards in from the shed and threw
cornbags from a line of tape across the living room.

Mike running the games.

Ollie pitches a cornbag while guests patiently wait for their turn. They really
were good at waiting in line! Three tosses apiece...so not too much waiting!

At about 2:30, we figured it was time to open gifts since the party was
scheduled to wrap up at 3:00. All of Ollie's friends gathered around to
watch him open his presents.

Colin looks on as Ollie opens his gift from Sammy.

Merrit bought this Spider Man mask for Ollie with his
own money. Ollie is loving it!

The goodie bags were handed out and everyone got into their punch balloons.
Angie inflates one for her boy, Gabe.

Jeff blows up Bren's balloon.
So shy!

Gabe and Aidan with their punch balloons. :)

By 3:30, the house was empty and the partygoers all gone home. Thanks to a few helping hands, paper plates and cutlery, and a quick Swiffer sweep-up around the floor, everything was pretty much back to normal within a half an hour. Ollie got some really nice gifts from his friends...all sorts of little Lego kits for him to work on over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you to all our friends and family for your gifts, cards, and birthday wishes! Ollie really felt special today and had a great fifth birthday! Love you all...