Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Birthday Bash 2018.


Well, it's done.  We knocked out the Nall Brothers' Birthday Bash 2018 and I think it's safe to say that everyone had all kinds of fun.


Birthday parties around here are pretty much all fun and no flair.  With two boys, ages 8 and 10, they have pretty much grown out of everything cutesy.  I've been able to add some cute touches here and there over the years but this year, they vetoed all cute printables, banners, and even cupcake toppers.  

Printables like this one from last year were outlawed this time around.

They said they wanted an actual cake (no cupcakes) and they didn't care what it looked like.  They just wanted a vanilla cake with white icing.  #sigh


As much as I would love to plan a Pinterest-worthy party, this is just not my life, y'all.  I am a boy mom and that's that.  And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Although, I know it would have been amazing to have had a little girl too.  ;)

But let's not get sidetracked.

Matthew's birthday is May 19th and Mason's is April 21st.  So they are about 3 weeks apart which makes it perfect for joint birthday parties.  We live in a neighborhood filled with boys so they share a lot of friends as well.  One party just works best for us right now and they have no problem whatsoever with that.  #thankgoodness

We have had backyard pool parties every year since they were born.  They are easy.  They are inexpensive.  And they are FUN!

A few years ago, we decided to kick it up a notch and add an inflatable waterslide because they are amazing.  Have you ever gone down one of those things?  You will feel like a kid again.  They are the best. I seriously look forward to the giant waterslide all year.

Usually, we have the party at the end of May.  But this year, Craig had camps every weekend so our earliest available date wasn't until June 22nd.  So it was a very belated birthday to my boys.

But let's get to the pictures.

In the past, we've always had an ice cream sundae bar with a ton of different candy toppings.  But this year, I decided to change it up a little with a dessert bar instead.  Because that's just what a bunch of elementary school boys need, right?  #allthesugar


We had cookies, candy, ice cream, and cake.  The boys couldn't wait to dig in.


Why are Sour Patch Kids so addicting?

The slide showed up an hour before the party so we got to play on it for a little bit before the party started.  That thing was a beast!



The party guests started arriving and let me tell you, that slide was a HIT.


I can't lie though.  It was also chaotic, stressful and just the tiniest bit dangerous.  ;)  There were a few tears (always), a couple of close calls and a strong need for a bullhorn!  #oneatatime #feetfirst #upthestairsanddowntheslide

The party was from 5-8 that night, so we grabbed 8 pizzas from Little Cesar's and a few bowls of chips for dinner before we brought out all the sweets.


Mason couldn't wait for dessert.


He started hovering while I was in the middle of setting up after we ate pizza.  A table full of desserts is just so HIM.  

I'm very nervous about his next dental visit. 


Ignore the ugly grill in the background.  I should have pushed that out of the way before the party.



I ordered this cake straight from the book at Tom Thumb by our house.  It was absolutely delicious even though it wasn't the coolest looking cake I've ever seen.  But you know what?  WHO CARES?!  My boys certainly didn't.  And neither did their sugar crazy friends.  ;)

One thing I will do better next year though?  Buy more Sour Patch Kids.  Those were gone almost immediately and I swear I thought tears were going to be shed.  I'm 99% sure though that every boy who wanted some, got some.  But we still could have used more.  I should probably just fill a baby pool with them next year.  ;)

Before they devoured the sweets though, we sang Happy Birthday.  And no mom fails on the candles this year!!  Both boys had the correct numbers for their candles.  (See last year's mom fail story here.)


And then the mad rush for all the candy began.  #chaos



After all the sugar, the boys ran off to play again.






Craig decided to push kids down the roller coaster into the pool so there was a line for that.  I purposely moved the roller coaster away from the pool before the party so this wouldn't happen because #dangerouswith20kids.  Dads don't care though apparently.




Before the party, I told Mason to go put on an actual swimsuit (instead of his everyday clothes he likes to swim in).  I didn't notice until the party had started that he'd put on last year's too small trunks.  They were too short and too tight but he didn't seem to mind. Sweet boy!  Love him so much.

After they played for awhile, we had to refill the pool at the bottom of the slide so we figured that was a great time to open presents.  Mason and his buddies gathered at one side of the sunroom while Matthew and his crew holed up in a separate corner.










And then it was back to the water!









We also had cornhole and ping pong set up on the other side of the yard.  I wasn't sure it would get used but it actually did!  And four ping pong balls have mysteriously disappeared...  I have a feeling I should check the neighbor's pool.  haha


Cute boys waiting in line for the dunk contest.




My parents were a big help with all those kids!!  (Ok, mainly my mom but my dad helped keep them entertained-and alive-in the pool!)




(Tiny shorts on the right...)





Craig spent a good amount of time throwing kids all over the pool.  ;)


I got a fun picture of Fount flying through the air!


And Mason too!  Check out that tuck!  He's an old pro by now.



Too bad my photography skills are a hot mess!

At the end of the night, everyone went home happy, full of sugar and exhausted.  And I'm sure my neighbors all breathed a sigh of relief.  Because it was LOUD for 3 straight hours.  Boys scream a lot.  And for no reason.

We still had another 30 minutes before the waterslide people were coming to remove it so all the adults jumped on the slide for their turn.  That thing is so much fun!!!  If we could keep it all summer, we totally would.  You are never too old for a waterslide.

The boys said it was their best birthday yet and that's ALL that counts.  Memories were made.  Although as I went to bed that night I realized this was the first year we forgot to take a family shot.  So it's a good thing we have memories because we don't have a family picture.  :(

When we were cleaning up at the end of the night, the boys decided they'd let me take their picture with their new swag.



They were still on that sugar high.

And that was the Nall Brothers' Birthday Bash 2018.  Happy 8 and 10 to my sweet boys!

If you'd like to check out last year's party, you can click HERE.


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4 comments

  1. so fun! and cracking up over the last year's trunks.

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  2. That inflatable water slide is AMAZING! My in-laws had one for my nephew's graduation, and my 75 year-old father-in-law took a turn down the slide!

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  3. So much fun!! As a fellow boy mom, we have to just let the cute printables and decorations go, don't we? Ha ha!! What a great party for your boys! Congrats Momma!!
    Susan

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  4. What a fun party! That inflatable slide looks like a blast! As a new boy mom, I'm going to get in all the cutesy parties while I can!! My little guy is not quite 9 months old, so I'm just now starting to think of fun 1st birthday themes :).

    www.saraleeblog.com

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