Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??? How did that happen??
William had a pretty extended celebration this year, as we had his party the Sunday before the actual birthday, went out to dinner on the actual day, and then he celebrated it in school the following week (because his birthday fell during Spring Break). This was arguably more celebration than was healthy for his ego. Through it all, the thing he was the most excited about was that he got to have a birthday cake, and what's more, he got to be my sous chef while I made it/them (I worried we wouldn't have enough cake with just one, haha).
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| The most excited sous chef around! (For the icing stage, he was really just watching from across the table. He was more participatory in the cake-baking stage. I even let him watch a cooking video online about decorating a cake, so he was full of helpful tips--and requests for polka dots like the cake in the video!) |
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| So. Excited. |
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| The main cake! (Polka dots, as requested!) |
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| The supplemental cake! This one I decorated after he left for the night to have a sleepover at Grandma and Pa's (lucky boy! Lucky me!), so he didn't see until the party that I had fulfilled his other request of a "remerican flag" decoration. He was pretty excited, I think. Such a patriot! |
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| So helpful the morning of the party! |
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| So very happy! |
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| Overcome by the pressure to blow out the candles. |
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| I helped him and all was glorious again in the world of William! |
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| Too cute! Everyone at the children's table went for chocolate icing except for Anna, who made the wise choice to go for the vanilla-raspberry. (And William, who asked for both. He decided to get it while the going was good!) |
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| Could there be a more delighted birthday boy than this one?? |
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| 💞💞💞 |
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| The few, the proud, the still-eating-cake. |
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| Robert was a little overwhelmed by the party and sought solace in Grandma's arms. |
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| These guys finagling for macarons. |
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| William, puzzled and delighted by his first macaron. (And probably shocked that he bamboozled me into letting him have one! Haha.) |
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| Opening presents! |
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| Still festive, ready for dinner, but happy to have a quieter house. (Or in Donald's case, semi-festive--smiling!--and ready to go back up to his office and miss dinner. Whomp whomp.) |
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| Meatballs with the extended fam after the party. Using the knife like a big guy! |
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| I believe this was actually William's second course of meatballs. His first was in the dining room with Aunt Anne and Grandma and Pa (how is it I failed to get a picture of that?) |
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| The traditional post-party collection of balloons. |
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| A rare picture with Mama. |
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| Still in his birthday shirt, decked out in Christmas PJ bottoms, and sporting a birthday hat, ready for the celebrations to continue the next morning! |
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| I guess this guy partied pretty hard the night before, and then his gym class Monday morning did him in. |
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| And here he is on his actual birthday, celebrating by panicking that Robert would fall down the stairs (and yelling up to me that he would catch him if he fell). |
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| Opening more presents on his actual birthday! |
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| Out to dinner at Silverado, as per his request (I think he was in it for the Etch-a-Sketch). |
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| His new photo blanket! |
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| Celebrating in his new bathrobe and his new Dutch wooden-shoe slippers from the Kaplans! |
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| Robert helps William try out his new bathtub kitchen set. |
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| Such a big boy! Looking very 4! |
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| Then Daddy wanted to go to Fogo de Chao, so William continued the celebration by eating a bunch of Brazilian meat (note the card flipped to green) while he's still young enough to be free! |
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| Dressed in his 4 shirt for his celebration at school (and boycotting my picture because the sun was too bright). |
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| Woohooooo, ready for cheese buses and being serenaded at school for his birthday! |
Then, of course, in the midst of all this came the most exciting birthday present for William--Baby Margaret arrived!! But that's another post.
