The Boy actually turned five last Wednesday, but with a mid-week birthday he wound up really celebrating more of a birth-week than a birth day. My mother came down from Ohio on Wednesday to bring birthday presents, take him out for a birthday mango lassi and eat a cupcake with him. She had to leave the next morning though because my younger brother was arriving from Japan.

Because the Boy does not have preschool on Wednesday, they had his celebration the next day. The girls and I went for the last few minutes of school, where they told a version of the Waldorf Rainbow Bridge story all about The Boy, while he got to wear a special crown and cape, then they gave him a little handmade bag with modelling wax, a seashell and a polished stone in it, and the kids got to eat cake the teachers had made. There was nothing for me to do, which was lovely.

And decidely not the case with the real birthday party on Saturday afternoon. The Boy had requested, admist about 900 party ideas, a knight party, so we went with that. I made the cake on Fridaymorning and then made felt crowns for all the kids that night. Saturday morning I decorated the cake, while Justin demonstrated his creative skills and turned one Smiles diaper box from Sam's Club into five shields, five swords, and three archery targets. After the cake was finished, I downloaded coloring pictures of various creatures to paste on the shields (which the kids got to color and decorate), as well as some images for the targets and an extra large dragon for the kids to play pin-the-fire-on-the-dragon.

I made sure the two year old was napping before the guest arrived and a good time was had by all. The kids did archery with The Boy's suction cup bow and arrow set, then decorated their sword and shield with the finest plastic gems, sparkly star stickers and glitter glue, ate cake and ice cream, after which they pinned fire on a dragon and then ran around our backyard whacking each other with swords.

I'm glad it is over, but I'm glad we threw a party this year too.