Luke's Second Birthday & Party

Two weeks ago, we had a big bash for Luke's second birthday.  As was our custom with Audrey, we dialed back inviting the entire extended family and "just" asked grandparents, great grandparents, my brothers and their families, and 2-3 family friends to join us.  (For both of their first birthdays we included both David's mom's side and his dad's side on the guest list. We are very thankful to have such a loving and involved extended family, but it's just not feasible for us to host 45+ people for every birthday party.  It's expensive, it's crazy for the kids, and it means less time we get to spend with each guest.) So we dwindled down the guest least to a mere 31, and 22 of them came over to celebrate.

I decided to do a Noah's Ark theme for it, just as I did with Audrey's second.  There was approximately five minutes of feeling guilty for the unoriginality of the choice, but then I got over it when I realized it'll likely be the very last time I can ever do that.  Somehow I don't think he'll be requesting a butterfly, princess, or tea party theme in the coming years.  

I went with a lime green and blue chevron color scheme and did quite a few things different to change it up a little.  The fact that it was a different house this time helped it not seem so identical as well.

At the front door, David (my sweet, patient husband who indulges my every party decor craft request because he loves me dearly) cut out waves from foam board and attached them on either side of the porch.  I had a little bubble machine blowing bubbles and a chalkboard sign up that read "Welcome to Luke's 2nd Birthday Party!"  As guests entered, they caught a glimpse of their favors:  A Noah's Ark coloring book and box of animal crackers for the little ones, a Noah's Ark Veggie Tales DVD and box of animal crackers for the older ones, and a bag of frosted animal crackers with sprinkles for each family to take home.  

As you'll see in the picture gallery, we put up the massive felt Noah's Ark mural we made for Audrey (I'd managed to save it and pack it away this long - you'd better believe we were going to try to get another use out of that piece of work!) and all of the wooden animal pairs.  I bought smaller glass jars to fill with animal-themed treats for the centerpieces - gummy bears, goldfish, teddy grahams, and animal crackers - and ordered animal print balloons to tie on them and elsewhere.  I printed small pictures and taped them to the basement walls in the shape of "2"s.  We had a slideshow running on the basement TV of the best photos of Luke from the past year.  In the kitchen was a tray of zebra cakes, a glass vase filled with skittles and sunflowers, and blue tulle on the island where the food was displayed.  The crowning glory of the decor was the amazing Noah's Ark cake my sister-in-law Jenny made.  It had a 3D ark on top with animals sticking out and it was awesome!  She outdid herself yet again.  The menu was pigs in a blanket, cheetos, a rainbow fruit tray, and potato salad (because David just really likes potato salad.) 

Of course, all of the yummy food and pretty decorations paled in comparison to how adorable the Birthday Boy himself looked.  Having typical second-kid guilt, I coughed up the money and ordered him a monogrammed Noah's Ark t-shirt to wear just for the occasion.  Amazingly, the dress I'd gotten for Audrey for her second birthday still fit after I had the hem taken out, so they both had cute monogrammed Noah's Ark outfits.  They didn't match perfectly, but they still looked great. I didn't think that far in advance considering I was about two weeks pregnant with Luke at AJ's party and didn't even know about him yet - hey, I plan, but not THAT well!  

He seemed to have a little bit of an idea about what was coming since we'd been decorating and talking it up all week.  The excitement built and the party didn't take long to get hopping with 8 kids ages 6 and under.  We did a Noah's Ark sticker scene and they ran around and played until it was time to eat.  After lunch we let him open his stack of presents. I was a little bothered that he had so many "helpers" in the older kids.  The poor guy barely had a fighting chance to unwrap his own gifts!  I fended them off a little and he managed to get a tear of paper in here and there.  He immediately wanted to take everything out, of course, but we distracted him with more presents.  Gotta love what that teaches a kid, huh?  "Here, no!  Don't enjoy that lovely and thoughtful gift to its full extent!  Toss it aside and open this one!"  Oh well.  Something else to blame us for when he's older and has problems with contentment I suppose.

After presents, it was time for cake and ice cream.  I think it finally hit him that it was his special day when everyone was singing to him and he got to blow out the candles (which he did perfectly and on cue!)  We served up the Noah's Ark cake, which was a yummy as it looked, and he ate all of his and a bite or two of mine before I cut him off.  We attempted to do animal masks crafts, but realized they required glue, so we entertained the kids with the party balloons and slowly people started drifting out.  We put Luke down around 1:45 as the last guests left and my mom stayed to help me clean up a bit.  Audrey went down for a rest too after Nana left and then David and I followed suite and snoozed for a few.  It had been a wonderful, fun-filled but exhausting celebration.  

After Luke woke up, the kids and David went outside to play while I began breaking everything down.  Normally things are a lot slower to get back to normal, but since we host a couples' small group on Sunday afternoons now, we had to flip the house back very quickly this time.  We ordered pizza for dinner then let Luke open his present from us - a new toy workbench.  He is so into tools right now, so it was the perfect gift.  He played with it for a little while (and by play, I mean fought with his sister over getting to use it for a single second.)  We ended the day on a tired but happy note.  

The whole day was a wonderful time of celebrating our baby who is daily reminding me that he is no longer a baby anymore.  Thank you to all who came out and helped us enjoy his big day.

In closing, a note for the Birthday Boy:

We love you so much, sweet Luke.  The only thing bigger than your dimpled smile is your heart.  You are funny, smart, and sensitive to others' feelings...traits that I hope stay with you for life.  There is nothing more precious than hearing you pray to Jesus every night, even if we can't quite make out all of the words.  He knows, Bubba.  He'll always be there to listen and I pray you'll never stop talking to Him.  And while your fierce independence is in full terrible-two swing, I know that there is nowhere you'd rather be at the end of the day than rocking with me in your rocking chair, your head snuggled just under my neck and your "bobble" in your mouth.  

Thank you for all that you have taught me so far.  Through you I am learning to relax more, to laugh more, and that if you have a hand to hold, you're pretty blessed in life.  May you always know how blessed and loved you are and how much your Daddy, sister, and I are in your corner.  Speaking of your sister:  she loves you more than she loves anyone else in the world and often tells us so.  Though normally shy in group settings, she sang the loudest when it came time to serenade you with "Happy Birthday" song at your party.  She may sometimes be your biggest annoyance, but she will also always be your biggest fan.  Each of us are, Luke.  We are your own personal cheering section.  We are proud of all you can do and what a kind and helpful spirit you display.  The milestones are only going to speed up from here and we can't wait to be by your side for each one.  Happy, happy birthday, Lukey.  I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always.  As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.  


Love, 

Mommy
xoxoxoxo