Z's 2 Year Construction Birthday Party!

Z had the best birthday weekend! He had a smile on his face the entire time and was never too overwhelmed by all that was going on around him :) We all had sooooo much fun!

Z woke up on Friday morning to a birthday breakfast. I had decorated the dining room after he went to sleep on Thursday night with all of the construction decorations. He was so excited when saw them up on Friday morning. We decided to do a little party (with all of his friends, look at the picture below) that morning before S went to work. S commutes quite a distance and there would be a lot of pressure for him to get home so that Z would have time to open his gifts before bed. This way he got to have cinnamon rolls as his cake and then was able to play with his presents all day long. It worked out great and I think we will start this as a new tradition.

The first present he opened was this. He loved it! He ate his breakfast in his big boy chair and was very cute about it. Z then opened this and I think the birthday could have been over right there. He loved these!

We were able to pry them out of his hands long enough for him to open a few DVD's and some books. Then the big present came...his new Thomas Train Set :) He was so excited about these that he jumped down onto the floor and insisted that S build a track with him before work. It was a great morning.

The next morning we had the family over for a "Construction Party". I had so much fun planning and executing this party. I got so many great ideas off of the internet and then threw in a few of my own. I decorated the room with pictures of trucks, balloons, Z's trucks and "birthday caution" tape. I then got these from Oriental Trading and had them all around the table (as well as in the kids goody bags). I made little construction signs for all of the food and tried to come up with construction type names for the different dishes (the meatballs were "hot boulders", the candy corns were "parking cones" and the rotini and wheel pasta salad were "nuts and bolts"). The veggies and dip were in a new paint pan and the pretzel rods ("logs") were in a new paint can. For the main dish we did "construct your own sub". This was a big hit with the adults (as well as the "Yield for Beer" sign). S decorated the cake to look like a dump truck (wish I had a picture...we only have video) and we also had cupcakes. It was so cute.

For the goody bags we had Bob the Builder bags filled with Tonka fun fruits, Bob the Builder hammers, the rubber ducks, truck stickers and then I made a CD of Z's favorite truck songs (of course the Bob the Builder Theme song was on this). They also got a truck dinner plate and there very own construction hat (with their name on it).

We must have done a great job prepping Z for the party because he was so calm through the entire thing! He didn't mind the crowd, other children playing with his toys or any of the attention. He was calm and cool and just went with the flow. He actually "opened" his presents this year (which was much more fun for S and I) and got very excited as he opened each one. Z got a lot of great things (so spoiled) and we are so appreciative of everyone who came.

S and I decided to pack up half of the new toys and brought them straight to the guest room while Z was napping. We felt he would be too overwhelmed having all of those new things at once. This way, on a rainy day we can bring down a new toy for he and I too enjoy. It also is a little less chaotic in the playroom.

It was a great weekend for our little man! We were both totally exhausted from the whole ordeal but it was worth it. Now onto planning next years theme ;) Just kidding...I will wait a month or two!