Birthday Extravaganza Part II

I decided to do a small "party" so Bennett could celebrate his birthday with a few friends. The plan was simple: play at the park, blow some bubbles, eat lunch, have a cupcake, go home.

Bennett LOVES bubbles and so I kind of got into the bubble idea. I found a nifty little no-spill bubble bucket with three chunky wands for little hands. When debating the purchase of a $4 gun that shoots out hundreds of tiny bubbles I envisioned darling photos of ecstatic toddlers chasing shimmering orbs, arms outstretched to the sky. I read dozens of bubble recipes online looking for the best way to create BIG bubbles.

(Did you have any idea that there are some grown people out that are WAY into this bubble thing? "Bubble enthusiasts" if you will. I found a bubble recipe from one guy that had to include a dozen ingredients, one of them being beer. Odd.)

My research led me to go with the oft-repeated dish soap, glycerin and water solution. And per instructions I made it Sunday to allow the mixture to rest overnight. I bent coat hangers into a big bubble wand.

And don't ya know that Monday morning dawned cloudy, windy and threatening rain.

Not the best bubble weather. Nor the best picnic weather. So after wrestling with whether I'd rather host a party at the park and risk having to run for cover or try to quickly clean my house for unplanned visitors I called our two guests and told them to come to our place instead of the park.

Bummer.

But we made the best of it. The boys didn't care that the wind didn't allow me to blow any large, impressive bubbles with my carefully prepared solution and homemade wand. They didn't mind that the wind immediately blew all the bubbles away and wreaked havoc with my plans for cute, bubbly pictures.

Ridge, Chapman and Bennett (sweet Elliott wasn't able to come) had a blast just swishing their bubble wands in the bucket of big bubble mix and making a bunch of foam.



Dayton decided to get in on the action and blow a few bubbles of her own.


Once we came inside the boys got to make some noise stomping out some bubble wrap bubbles. This would have gone over better had Bennett not be throwing a fit about having to come in and had Chapman been heavy enough to actually break his bubbles. At least Ridge enjoyed it.


After working up an appetite we had a picnic on the living room floor. Initial-shaped sandwiches, goldfish and fruit were on the menu for the kiddos.



Chocolate cupcakes and a final photo op rounded out our little shin-dig.




Thank you friends for coming to play with us! Bennett is so blessed to have you boys in his life. I'm excited to watch you all as you continue to grow together!