Ethan's Sixth Birthday Party

In our house, birthday parties are all about the cake. Since I decorate cakes, the kids come up with some interesting ideas for their birthdays. Ethan wanted a planet party this year. Originally he wanted a cake that what a sphere, like a ball. I told him it would be difficult to do so (mostly because the pans for that are really expensive, and I didn't want to buy it and use it once)! So he came up with the idea of doing a cupcake solar system. "Perfect," I said, "mom can handle that this year. So easy!

I tried to make some or most of these look like the pictures I could find on the internet. Ethan is particular that way. So particular, that he actually tried to assign planets to specific friends. Sometimes it worked, others rebelled and requested different planets. The cupcakes were mint cake (per request) and the Sun and Mercury (for dad) were just plain, for those who didn't like mint.
Ethan inhaling the planet Earth. He had first dibs, it being our planet. We had to tease him by saying, "Ahhh, don't eat us!"

Here the kids are making the one planned activity of the party. I had them color and put stickers on a paper plate for a flying saucer. Then I had them go outside and "fly" them frisbee style. Ethan especially enjoyed the Mr. Sketch smelly markers I bought for nostalgic reasons. I had been looking for some more since I was ten. Then when I found the markers casually at Staples I had to buy them. Come on, they were on sale, I couldn't resist.

Ethan's one present from Walt and I. He is so tall that he has outgrown his other bike, and Cameron has outgrown his. So new bike for Ethan, and Cameron gets to move up to Ethan's old bike.

Just a picture of the whole gang of boys who came to Ethan's party! So cute they all are.

Ethan was in the middle of opening presents when Walt said, "Look at Luke, he's smiling!" I just sat there adoring him saying how cute he was, when Walt replied in a sing-song voice, "You have a camera in your hands get a picture!" So here is our first picture of a smile from our baby Luke! It was a good day!