Seven

On March 19, 2010, our boy turned SEVEN!!! Seven years old. We definitely can’t imagine our family without Brandon and we love him so much!

At SEVEN Brandon:
loves 1st grade
loves recess and math at school
is doing well with piano and still has a great little singing voice
collects Pokemon with his friends
loves the Wii, especially Super Mario Brothers
likes to watch Jeopardy with his daddy
has endless energy
loves to ride his new big bike
is always bringing home stuff he finds on the playground (it’s hilarious and gross at the same time)
likes to eat toast, cheerios and chocolate milk whenever he can
is still stubborn as ever
will still snuggle with me
is enjoying reading the scriptures each night
adores his sisters even though he loves to argue with them and bug them
thinks his daddy is “wise”
tries my patience daily
has the cutest freckles and a magnetic smile and a fun personality
loves to play with friends
always has Jaden play guitar for him before going to sleep, and always has me sing a certain bedtime song
struggles with change
has lost 2 teeth with a few more wobbly ones
is a smart cookie, we love to hear what he’s thinking about
is growing up so fast but is still a little boy and will always be my baby

I’ve posted this before but here is a poster I made for his VIP at school, telling a little bit about Brandon. His teacher loved it so much she kept it! Thank goodness for digiscrapping, I let her keep it and simply printed out another one that Brandon has hanging in his bedroom.
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So technically this was supposed to be the year of a “friend” birthday party, but I am a rotten mom and convinced Brandon to forgo a big party this year, planning to celebrate big for his 8th birthday next year. That’s me, I’m a big procrastinator. “Let’s put it off until next year, honey.” He was totally cool with it. Jaden and I were high-fiving each other for weeks.

We still had a great time with family for his big SEVEN. So here is the rundown of Brandon’s birthday festivities.

We have a little tradition when the kids wake up on their birthdays–we cover their bedroom door with streamers. They love running through the streamers and Brandon likes to call it a “human car wash.”

One of the first things Brandon said to me when he woke up that morning: “Mom, now I’m almost a teenager!” Oh, help me now……..help. me. now.

Brandon’s big present from us was his big bike. It has shocks……pegs…….luuuckyyyyy. (said in my best Napoleon Dynamite voice). He rode it around the house (aren’t we cool parents?) and then I let him ride it outside before school.

He didn’t really let the HUGE BLIZZARD stop him. You probably can’t see it but he had a huge smile on his face. Gotta love snow in March (or April. Or May.)

We had our families over the next day (Saturday) for pizza and cake and ice cream. Back when we were going to have a big “friend” party Brandon had decided on a Super Mario Brother’s theme. Since we decided to wait on that I decided to incorporate SMB into our family party still, with bright colored decorations, food, treats and super fancy cupcakes.

For the cupcakes I found SMB graphics online and printed them out, then used a circle punch to cut them out and made simple little cupcake toppers. And the cupcakes were DIVINE. I’ll post the recipes I used pronto. Cupcakes are the best, because they are so much easier to make. I am definitely no cake ace like Duff. Or my talented friend Susan.

I also made these little favors–you know those yellow boxes that Mario bonks his head on and “items” fly on out? That’s what these are supposed to be. I made them in good ol Photoshop. Brandon thought they were awesome!! I put “gold” thingies inside of them, like gold coins and Werthers and Rolos and stuff.

So the party was a great time!!!! Lots of excitement, lots of fun presents to open, lots of family to hang out with and lots of crazy silliness.

Weirdos, I say. It’s a miracle our kids are semi-normal.

Then came Happy Birthday singing, making a wish, blowing out candles, and diving into the scrumptious cupcakes.

Annie insisted that all the girls got Princess Peach cupcakes.

Thanks family for such a rockin’ 7th birthday!!! It was a great day. We are so glad Brandon was born.