Happy Birthday, Gabe!

We have been having unseasonably warm weather here lately. I'm not complaining mind you (though it does make me wonder what is in store in the next couple of months). It meant that we got to move part of Gabe's birthday party, which we had today, out of doors. What a pleasant surprise. :)

Officially, Gabe turned 6 years old at 11:55PM last night. Six years ago after a three-day induction process and two hours of pushing I finally held my first born. I was so tired I didn't care. OK, I cared. I was smitten but I also couldn't hold my own head up I was so exhausted. Not an exaggeration. I did very much enjoy that first night as I think he was super exhausted too and we slept for hours and hours nestled together. So after that little walk down memory lane, we continue with today's tale.

Gabe requested a Zelda themed birthday party. They don't really make much premade for Zelda parties (where as last year I got lucky with the Mario theme). Still, I think it went all right. We started with a "find the Tri-force Gem" game. I made and hid yellow triangular Tri-force gems around the back yard. The children's task was to find three gems and return them to me to earn a shield.


It really was a pretty day for a hunt type game in the backyard.


Zion picked the purple shield and then ran circles around the yard with it.


Gabe insisted on the red shield and then attempted to color the whole thing brown.


Isaac decorated his with fish.

The line up. Gabe, Isaac, Zion, Jordan (a friend of Gabe's from school) and Jonathan. After decorating their shields Gabe got to choose which was his favorite and award that person with a sword. Gabe chose Jonathan's shield as his favorite.


After the games we moved on to gifts. Gabe had a penguin Pillow Pet on his wish list and was excited to get it.


He got a 100 Bible songs and story book from Isaac and family.


We got him Mario Party 8 which later the boys had lots of fun playing.



The Zelda cake. This year hoping to keep it on the cheap and easy I did the cake myself. Nothing fancy or inspiring but a pixelated version of Link, the hero from the Zelda games. Gabe chose cherry chip cake (my favorite so how could I argue), I slather it with vanilla icing and used M&Ms to create Link.


Gabe took his time blowing out the candles. Wasted no great effort in attempting to blow them out all at once. Or after two. Or three...


Zion loved the cake. Ate hers and asked if she could have Gabe's leftover piece as well.

I allowed Gideon a bit of cake and some of his rice milk ice cream. The cake likely had a bit of dairy in it but he's been doing so much better I felt a little cheating for a birthday was OK. His next allergy appointment is Friday, by the way.



Jonathan and Gabe have a sword duel. The birthday boy v. the shield decorating winner. I don't know that anyone won but they looked like they were having fun.



The after party. I know. A bunch of raucous partiers are we. My dad and Rob observing the kids trying out the new toys, and some "old". That's about as wild as it gets around here. :) I am really enjoying the leftover birthday cake though.