Gage's Birthday Party! 4 Years Old!

For the first time ever, we didn't host Gage's birthday party here at our house.
Also for the first time ever, there weren't like 50 people there! Seriously, so many people couldn't come b/c of flu or flu-type symptoms. That's okay. We'd rather have leftovers & stay well!

In true Darnin' fashion---Gage's cake looked AWESOME.





{what we thought about a little after-the-fact: fondant is awesome looking...but kids really like icing, and therefore fondant is not so much of a hit with the kids at parties...we're just sayin'...}





In true celebratory fashion, I totally dressed up like a "cowgirl".
...lighting the candles...{which he blew out before the song was over...}






The best little happy face!






We also did a pinata on the nearby basketball court...


His legs fell off first...



After that...the whole candy-&-toy-filled torso fell.
Few tips for the pinata novices out there...{you know, b/c I just learned the hard way}
1. Check out the pinata prior to purchase. How large or not-large is the candy holding area? Ours was a cool cowboy pinata, but it turns out that it barely had any room for treats inside...
2. Check out the party area prior to the party. I just ASSUMED that because there were trees all around, that one would be perfect for the pinata. Not so much. We ended up doing a pinata on the basketball court.
3. Even if you feel inclined to stuff the pinata full-full-full, refrain from doing so. It makes it harder to bust open apparently.

So, the whole torso fell to the ground, and the kids got to rip it open.
Which brings me to novice tip #4.
4. Kids love bouncy balls. So, when you see a 98-piece bouncy-ball set at the party store, it may seem like a cool idea to put those in the pinata. Right? Because kids love them. Well, when the pinata gets busted open or torn open----98 bouncy balls in this case hit a basketball court & went EVERYWHERE. So, I'm still kind of on the fence about this. Do it b/c it creates a cool effect, or avoid it because they bounce & roll off everywhere....

The party was fun. Gage had a good time & it didn't rain!
It was sooooooooooooooooo much easier to have a party at a designated location, rather than here at our house.

At the end of the party, when the guests had all gone....I took my braids out, and according to my mom---looked like a cocker spaniel!


And in Gage's big heart fashion, he set his birthday balloons free---sending them to Eddie in Heaven.