A SUPER Celebration!

There are more than a dozen photos in this post.  Just sayin'.

Sometime back in early February I looked at Jeramie and said, "Just so you know, we are not going all out this year for Ethan's party." 

(At least one of you is laughing right now, I'm sure of it.)

Since becoming a mom, I've learned that I love me a birthday party - and I've always known that Jeramie is a perfectionist.  Those two things combined have caused us to spend many, many hours planning and implementing the "perfect party" over the past three (ok, four) years.  For some reason, though, I just wasn't feeling it this year.  I wasn't any less excited about Ethan's birthday, I just wasn't in the mood for all the hoopla.

But, fast-forward a few weeks and there I sit at the kitchen table sewing (who am I?!) superhero capes while Jeramie sits in the living room floor hand-painting a 6x9 foot canvas of a city skyline.

"What happened to 'not going all out'?", I asked.

The truth is, Ethan lives a life that is worthy of grand celebration - we all do.  Birthdays, especially his, are a big deal around here because it's one more year we've had together.  A couple of weeks ago, I met an adult CHD survivor who was getting ready to turn 40.  I've never seen a 39-year-old more excited about being 40 than she was - I loved that! Heart defect or not, though, each year is a gift and deserves to be celebrated.

So, celebrate we did!

Early morning present-opening before Daddy left for work.

Dinner at Olive Garden - YUM!

The day after Ethan's actual birthday we hosted his much-anticipated superhero party at a local park.  Aside from being a little windy, the weather could not have been better for early March! I'm pretty sure the kids had a blast, and Jeramie and I really enjoyed planning this one - despite my initial resistance!

I'll leave you with some highlights of the day and many, many photos.  Feel free to snag any and all ideas for your own superhero birthday party.  Most of them were borrowed or thought-up last minute, anyway!

THE FAVORS: Superhero Capes (template) and Tootsie Pops (template)

The kids loved the capes, and I actually enjoyed making them! I did decide to sew on the yellow circle instead of using spray adhesive, and I used freezer paper to stencil on each letter.  (Big shout out to my friend and craft mentor, Christy!) I got the felt from JoAnn Fabrics and found that half a yard made two kid-sized capes, or four toddler capes.

Jeramie handed them out to each child during "Superhero Training", just before the obstacle course!

Scrabble, anyone?

My nephew, Johnny, rockin' a smaller cape for the babes.

To display the superhero Tootsie Pops, I used wrapping paper to cover a piece of styrofoam.  Simple!

I picked on Jeramie when he said that each sucker seemed to have a personality of its own.  That is, until that middle brown one started to remind me of this guy.

THE GAME: A Superhero Obstacle Course

Once everyone got their capes, Jeramie led them through an obstacle course in which they had to run through hula hoops, cross a balance beam, crawl through a tunnel, jump on a trampoline, then "Hulk smash" into a building of cardboard blocks.  We got out lots of energy on this one!

So thankful for these behind-the-scenes superheros who were re-building the tower after each smash!

THE FOOD: Superhero Snacks

We held the party in between lunch and dinner times, so we made sure to have a few snack-type foods available for everyone.  Chex Mix became "Mighty Mix", veggies with ranch became "Power Dip", clementines became "Wonder Fruit", and juice pouches became "One, Two Punch".

Of course, there's always cake, too!

THE CAKE: Icing Smiles (Creations by Barbara, Ltd.)

This is the second year we've used Icing Smiles and we've been completely impressed each time! The cake was as delicious as it looked, too.  If you live in the Triangle, consider contacting Barbara for your next event!

I supplemented with Spider-Man cupcakes, although I'm pretty sure the cake would have been plenty!

THE DECORATIONS: A Superhero Skyline

Back in the early days of "not going all out" I came across this idea on another blog and showed it to Jeramie.  We concluded that it would be way too much work for this year's "simple" party and tossed it aside.

For, like, three days.

Before I knew it, Jeramie was in Lowe's buying a six-foot by nine-foot canvas drop cloth.  Then, a few bottles of paint later and ... VOILA!

It made for a great back-drop for opening presents....

..and posing for family photos!

It's a special little thing, that's for sure, but I'm glad we did it!

All in all, it was a wonderful day celebrating our very own Superman.  We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who came out to spend the afternoon with us - Ethan is one heck of a blessed little boy!