Birthday Time

Last weekend Desert Boy turned 4. He's a big boy now. He is happy to tell you that. Multiple times.

He wanted a big party, so we had family and his friends and their families come over. We started out with games. The first was a treasure hunt aimed at little kids:
Find 2 yellow flowers, a rock in the shape of a rectangle, a stick the size of your little finger, and a surprise.

I was surprised that they were all able to do it!

Then it was time for the archeological excavation in the sandbox. A few days earlier, Desert Boy came running into the house, so excited that he had dug a hole so deep that he had found a bone. While looking at his great find (a chicken bone), I asked him what kind of bone he thought it was.

"A dinosaur bone. Or a person bone."

We don't dig up chicken bones around here. We dig up important bones.


I figured Desert Boy's friends might enjoy the challenge of digging up important bones, so I buried six bones.

Aron Ray found one.

Desert Boy found one. Then three more were found. But they couldn't find the last bone. So the older cousins took two big shovels and dug until they found it. I think we're going to have to do the digging game again!

Our wonderful babysitter brought over a pinata, and that was a huge hit with the kids. It took a lot longer to break a pinata with a plastic bat than with a wooden bat!

Aunt Tana helped "control" the pinata--as much as it can be controlled!

Kayli taking a swing.

Ashley and Stacia. Stacia turned one this week!

Desert Boy chilling out with Grandpa.

Clay eating some food. All that bone digging made him hungry.

Then it was time for the birthday cake. It was slightly better than my attempt at Elmo cupcakes last year. Desert Boy helped decorate the train cake. He didn't really agree that each car should only have one type of candy on it. I had forgotten to get cookies for wheels, but then realized little donuts worked great.

Aron Ray was eager to help blow out the candles, but Desert Boy didn't appreciate the help.

Ah, the excitement of turning 4!

Then it was time to head back outside and work off some of that sugar with another pinata. There was something a little odd about smacking Dora, but the kids wanted to get to that candy!