Party Down, Baby!!

So you're turning one, huh? (Ok, so maybe the kid is a little ahead of himself. Just try to look at one hand at a time.) What better way to celebrate than with two of your best friends, Kacey and Taline (who are also turning one), and about a hundred strangers?! Oh, you ask, what did I subject my newly one year old to? Well, according to his grandparents is wasn't as much a 1st birthday party as it was a coronation. Yes, it was a little on the large size. And yes, it was a little bit of a baby/kid-friendly wonderland resplendent with gardens lined with pinwheels, dozens of balloons, showers of bubbles, pools of every size and even a "baby lounge" full of a 100 baby-sized pillows.

But, come on, when you think about the fact that it was all for three babies (we like to think of it as Dashy's first menage) it really doesn't seem that over the top, does it? (I write this slightly wincing.) Ok, maybe it was a little much, but the main thing is that Dashy had a blast. And it seemed like everyone else did too.

In fact, Dashy didn't just have a birthday party, he had a birthday weekend!

It started with a small family party on Saturday...



















When we sung Happy Birthday to Dash, he started to "dance" in his chair...





















That evening while he was playing with one of his new toys, he took what I would consider to be his first real steps. Of course, that was the one moment that the video camera was turned off!

The next day was the big event. There was a lot of preparing that went into it. I have already told you about the overhaul on the yard. But there were some other last minute things to take care of.

Here's a picture that captures 3 layers of handymen at work... Dashy making sure that the rubber chips are all in order, Grandpa and Dave making sure that the teeter-totter is in good shape, and the painters finishing up the paint on the new gate. Oh, the hussle, bustle that goes into a party. It's exhilarating (and nerve-wracking!)

But, finally, everything came together!

The birthday babes...

Dashell...


















Taline...



















Kacey...



















Balloons...












































Bubbles...







































Baby lounge...



















...in action...











Cake...
Alex made a masterpiece (we considered bronzing it briefly, before digging in!)















She also made deliciously organic smash cakes for the babies. Although there wasn't as much smashing as there was pawing...















And of course, there was plenty of partying and party-goers...

































































































































By the end Dash was pretty wiped out...



















But his daddy had one more surprise in store for him...

The hugest balloon bouquet ever!!



















Which had lost a little of it's oomph by morning, but Dashy loved it anyway!!





































I declare the weekend Birthday-tastic!!

p.s. This party would not have been half as fantastic without all the amazing help from all the babies grandparents and great-grand parents (and of course parents). Thank you so much, everyone, for helping to make this an incredibly fun and memory filled day!!!