Tate's 5th Birthday Party!

We celebrated Tate's 5th birthday with a party at our local playground again this year.  It was quite simple just like last year!  I ordered a train to come give rides to the partygoers for an hour, as many rides as they wanted.  It was so much fun!  Amazingly the weather was absolutely gorgeous!  And it's August!!  The humidity was minimal, the temps were mild (mid-70s) and the cloud cover was absolutely perfect.  It was just beautiful!

As always set up was a bit harried, even though it was minimal.  My parents picked up the 7 balloons I had ordered and brought them with them.  Tate and I ran out at 8am to pick the cake up at the store...super yummy by the way.  Upon returning home I had to do some last minute touches for the party, shower and get dressed and get to the park around 9:30am.  My parents help a lot, a lot!  Thank goodness, but they want direction from me on everything and sometimes I just wish people would just do without asking.  I know they want to do things the way I want them, and I get that because I know I'm such a type A personality, control freak.  But I'm mellowing in my age.  In any event, sometimes I just want to sit back and let stuff happen.  But I'm beyond blessed to have the help I get;  my sister came a bit early to help as well!!!  So I'm ever so grateful.  Always!

The train arrived right on time, and the nice young man got it sanitized and set up and ready to go right at 10:15 as requested :).  Kids and parents started arriving right on time as well.  The playground we use is fabulous with lots to offer in the form of activity for kids of all ages.

Tate's BFF from daycare arrived and you have never seen two happier little boys.  The joy on their faces upon seeing one another made my day.

The entire morning was just perfect.  After the party was over I invited those who wanted to to come back to the house for pizza and present opening.  My parents, Aunt Lindsey, and two other families came with us!  Tate loved all his gifts (save one...he was so funny...it totally was not something he would be into, and he simply said "I don't like this Mommy.  I don't want it.  Let's give it to someone else."  He's already a re-gifter!  LOL!).  He has made mention several times in the past two days that he got lots of birthday gifts and that he has too many toys.  He's asked to give some away to other kids, so we'll go through and select toys to give away, as well as ones to save to sell in a garage sale.  My sweet boy.

We spent the rest of the afternoon, just the two of us relaxing...him playing with his new Lego toys!  He got all three sets of the Lego Disney 'Planes' which put him over the moon.  He's become a Lego fanatic and he's awesome at them!  He got the Lego City Red Train (the City Passenger Train) from me for Christmas, and though at Christmas he required alot of my help to put it together, by late May he was taking it apart and putting it together all by himself!  I was soooooo impressed!!  He got the Lego City Train Station from his godfather at Christmas...he can do that as well by himself!!  I've been so surprised by his dexterity and ability to follow the instructions with joy, because I find no joy in Lego building :).  He's not into any other Legos like the Ninjago or Star Wars which is absolutely fine with me as I feel they are too dark for my new 5 year old!  (I know nothing about them though, so I'm probably totally wrong on the 'darkness.')  In any event, he loved having a Tate and Mommy afternoon and went to bed giddy with happiness.  So much so that it was hard for him to go to sleep!  A perfect end to a perfect day for my rising Kindergartner!!

Thomas the Snack Train!

He's here Mommy!  He's here!!!

 Playing on the playground...

Many rides on the train...

All Aboard!! 

Mommies on the train this time!!

After everyone had had their fill of train rides, slides, swinging and playsets, it was time for cake!

Ready to make a wish!

 

HaHa!  I just blew my germs all over the cake y'all
are going to all want a piece of now!!!

The party-goers!

Lots of hugs and kisses later, party favors given out and everyone was on their way home!  Realizing this is one of the last time these kids might all be together (from daycare) we decided to have a pool party in a couple of weeks to give them a kindergarten send-off!!

 Everyone loved their party favors...

Back at home we opened presents and enjoyed some pizza with our family and a couple of friends...

 Hugs and cuddles...

 

Happy Birthday my sweet boy!