It's a Piñata Party!

Just a few days before Callum's 4th birthday, we had our first fever scare and spent a few days at the hospital.  So, by the time we got home, none of us were really feeling energetic about doing much to celebrate the poor guy's birthday.  We had some of my family over to the house and had a cake and presents, but he was feeling really crummy and ended up crying during the Happy Birthday song, and refusing any cake.  I guess you couldn't really blame him, given everything he had been (and is still) going through.

But since then, he's never let me forget, that we did not have a proper birthday party for him - because he did not get a piñata!  :)   You see, to our boys, a birthday party isn't a birthday party, without a piñata.  In fact, when we've been to parties where there is no piñata, they question me afterward what the deal was.... and why didn't that poor poor kid get one for his birthday?!?  ;-)

So I figured, with the end of consolidation just a few days away - why not celebrate Callum finishing his big milestone, with a piñata?!?

I've been trying to down play how much special attention Callum receives (as much as is possible) because it does hurt Logan's feelings.  And, because he's smart and old enough to know and remember we actually DID have a cake/celebration for Callum's birthday, I didn't want this to seem like yet another case of special treatment just for little Callum.

So, we invited a few of our close friends (with kids who are friends of BOTH boys), and made it VERY clear (something I had to repeat ad nauseum all week by the way!), that this was not a birthday party (even though that's what Callum continued to call it), but a piñata party - and that we were celebrating both Callum's end of Consolidation treatment, and Logan's first week of the First Grade.  That seemed to make them both very happy and PHEW.  A big crisis was averted.  ;-)

I didn't want to make a huge event out of it, but obviously we needed to get the main centerpiece.  So, the boys, together, picked out this fun robot piñata.  

Last week, I met a lady named Bettina (a friend of a friend), who makes DELICIOUS GORGEOUS CUSTOM COOKIES.  Out of her home.  I casually asked her if she could make some robot cookies for me?  But of course!

I sent her a pic of the robot as inspiration and voila!  She produced these amazing little pieces of artwork.  I was in such awe, I told her I'd probably need to book her for every upcoming party for the next 10 years.  ;-)

Check out all the minute little detail she added to these!  She created them all on her own - just like that!  Amazing.  Seriously!  Callum was so in love with them, that he was really hesitant to put them out for the other kids to eat and enjoy.  I don't blame him - they were small pieces of art!

After the Moms hovered and admired Bettina's beautiful artwork, the cookies were devoured in minutes by the kids...

But, to be safe (and because Callum asked), I also set out cupcakes to enjoy too....  ;-)

The Cables family, the Jodoins, and the Hicksons all brought a dish or two to share with the group and suddenly we had plenty of food and drink and were all stuffing ourselves silly, while the kids ran around the house like crazy kids.  :)

I tried to take a few pics as the kids played together, but I didn't do a very good job - mostly getting the backs of heads in each shot!  LOL  But, trust me when I say we all had a grand time.  :)

 

The Dads hanging out in one room....

While the Moms were hanging out in another (next to the FOOD - yum!)  ;-)

At one point, the older boys were all grouped quietly together in Logan and Callum's room - which I thought meant trouble - but come to find out, they had pulled out some paper and colored pencils and were DRAWING of all things!  Ha!  :)

So the point of all this is.... we were having such a nice time visiting that we almost forgot about our piñata smashing!  Whoops!  Until good ol' Trent reminded me, "Bree, when can we hit the piñata?"  :)  
We rounded up the troops, lined up the kids (youngest first), to hit the poor piñata to pieces (and let me tell you, that poor thing kept breaking, or the twine would keep breaking, or something, before we got through all the kids!  So we had to keep re-tying and putting it back up for a few more swings)!

Not exactly sure why, but Callum asked to sit out and watch instead of hitting....

Because Callum ducked out (he's not the youngest, but we said he could go first), that meant Trent was the first to give our piñata a few solid hits.

Connor swinging like a champ!

There goes Amelia!

I'm afraid I didn't get any great pics of Logan hitting it! :(  But, you can see here he did manage to hit it at the top which caused the piñata to break (again)! :/

Baby #4, watching along with Mama ;-)

Molly giving it a few good whacks!

I really loved the expressions on all the kids' faces throughout - here are a few fun ones as they started to see a few candy pieces sprinkle out.  :)

 And finally, Robert, the oldest, is up to bat:

After all that excitement, baby Brady decided he wanted to give it a few tries too! :)

Callum continued to say he didn't want to hit it (as I'd offer him a chance between kids) - until the very end - when he told me he'd like to be the last to hit it.  Luckily, we had just a swing or two of life left before the entire piñata was ready to fall apart, so we rushed him up there and he smacked it around until all of the candy fell out.

Later, he ran up to proudly tell me, "Mom!  I DESTROYED it with the last hit!"

As always, it was a frenzy on the ground as the kids grabbed every piece of candy they could find.

Robert was wicked fast and filled up his bag TO THE BRIM in seconds flat!

Callum, on the other hand, was very decisive in his choosing - picking out every Nerds box he could find (and then later, when Robert dumped his bag out to review his loot, I hear Callum walked over and picked out the Nerds boxes in Robert's loot, to add to his own bag, before walking away!).

We were so happy to have our friends join us in a little fun and celebration today - thanks to everyone who made it!!  We are so grateful for the milestones we have hit so far, and optimistic on hitting all the rest!  :)