Keith’s BIG 4th Birthday

How does one mommy prepare for a birthday party that means the WORLD to her boy??  Well, we start with a cool cake & cookies.

The plan to have a Star Wars party was ignited a year ago - after his Spiderman birthday party!  Kids tend to do that, don’t they?!…plan their birthdays for the next 2 years - the theme, what they want for gifts, who they want to attend & NOT to attend…   As adults, we are lucky if we even remember that we have a birthday!  I digress…

Knowing what was ahead allowed me to plan some fun ideas for this party as I was confident, based on his obsession of the last 12 months, that his plan for a Star Wars party would not change. 

Plan A:  A cool cake… hmmm… R2D2?  no…  LEGO Star Wars?  no…  Darth Vader?  YEP!  That’s it.  So we begin…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had seen some cakes online that I got the idea from.  Mine came out with a pretty square head.  In the future, I would use a more cone shaped bowl instead of the flat bottomed one that I used.  But overall, I was happy with how it turned out.

I had also purchased some Star Wars cookie cutters this past summer.  I figured that Star Wars will never go completely OUT of popularity between the kids and the adults in our lives.  So it was no loss to invest in them.  And they are SOOO cool!  They cut out the shape, and then you can stamp the facial details on them.  That helps when you go to decorate.

Chloe actually helped me to ice them.  She did a fantastic job, better than i expected considering how small the details can get on these cookies.  Here are some of my favorites from the bunch.

 

Next was the idea for a Death Star piñata.  I recruited James to help me with that and he can appreciate the details that go into making a Death Star look authentic!  He ROCKED the project and took it on with vigor!  He made 2 of them (smart!) in case something happened to one.  And now, post party, I have that 2nd one that wasn’t destroyed at the part hanging in Keith’s room above his bed.

 The final touch was a call to the Garrison Titan Legion in Seattle.  They are the local chapter of a nation wide group that represents Star Wars characters.  They each make their own costumes and are held to a very high standard of presentation.  I have seen them in parades and other local events.  They are a non-profit, so in lieu of payment, we made a donation to Seattle Children’s Hospital on their behalf.  It was AWESOME!  And it was the element that closed the deal for this party.

And here we go!!…

 

The characters had gotten ready in our downstairs, and had access to our backyard from our side door.  So once dressed, they found their way up into the backyard, where the kids could discover them from inside, looking out.  This moment literally sent chills down my spine.  They were SOOOO real, and you could hear Darth Vader breathing while he stood there.  If only you could have seen the expressions on the kids’ faces.  It was absolutely PRICELESS…

Once they had the courage, they all found their way down the deck stairs and out into the yard to come face to face with these icons.  First up to meet and greet… KEIFFY!

You can tell by the dimples that he was smiling all the way through, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t shy and totally humbled by their presence!  The kids AND adults took their turns approaching, taking pictures, asking questions of, and just enjoying their company.  It was totally surreal.

 

 

 

ALL the adults got their pictures taken with them…can you say CHRISTMAS CARDS?!?!

 

The kids were dressed in various costumes - we had 2 Princess Leias, 2 Darth Vader, and a Clone Trooper.  Not knowing who all would have costumes, I made masks of various characters that they could hold up and pretend with.

My sister, Jennie, as Obi Wan

My mom as Princess Leia

And all the kiddos with their various masks.

The next activity was the piñata!  Keith started the madness with the first hits.  Then everyone else got one turn (3 hits/turn).  Keith was just starting the 2nd round of turns when he busted it wide open!  It was awesome to have the birthday boy actually get it!    

   

  

This is

 

 

One of my favorite pictures (above).  I just love how the three characters are looking on as all the kids hover around the candy!  And we spared no expense - we went for the good stuff… Twix, Reeses, Snickers…not of that hard candy/tootsie roll stuff!

And alas, the blown-up Death Star…finally met it’s demise!

CAKE TIME!!!

This momma enjoyed cutting it up when the time came.  Can you tell??

Clearly, the cake was a hit!

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

  

After cake was time to play, mingle with the characters, and slowly move up to the deck for gifts.  SHOCKER - but Keith got all Star Wars gifts!  He was in Heaven on earth!      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids just watched on anxiously - everyone was in the STAR WARS zone!

 

Another one of my favorite pictures was this one of Baby Jillian Garcia sitting beneath Darth Vader - balling her eyes out as he towers over her!

 

Finally, Chloe was such a good sport through all this.  She really supports Keith in his Star Wars obsession, and dressed the part of Princess Leia.   My sweet sweet girl - an amazing BIG sister!!

 

        

Where’s Uncle Dan?  (Waldo!)