Motorcycle Party Goodness

I have a confession to make:  I am one of "those" parents when it comes to birthday parties.  


You know the ones.  They pick a theme.  They spend hours searching and brainstorming ideas about games and decorating that fit with the theme.  They pick colours and coordinate the invitations and balloons and thank you bags.  They drive all over the city looking for a particular item that would be 'perfect' for the party.


And try as I might, I just can't talk myself down from going over the top.  That being said, I have mellowed out a bit since the first one...

Ephraim's fourth birthday was no different.  He decided on a motorcycle-themed party (admittedly with a bit of influence from me) but what I didn't realize is that there is absolutely no (and I mean zero) in the way of party ideas, party favours, party anything with a motorcycle theme.  

I enlisted the help of a friend who is a motorcycle fanatic, raided his garage, and came home with motorcycle helmets and motorcycle fenders and motorcycle seats and motorcycle boots and motorcycle models...you get the picture.  The basement ended up being a pretty motorcycle-friendly place.

Ephraim had a few friends over and we spent the afternoon doing all things motorcycle.  We began by decorating the thank-you bags with cut up motorcycle pictures...

And then headed downstairs to the basement...

...where we began the 'structured' part of the party with a book (as I always do):

...we played a fun game of dressing up as a motorcycle driver and ran around the basement making motorcycle noises...

(as a side note, most of the kids didn't want anything to do with dressing up - but Ephraim had been walking around the house with the helmet, boots and gloves on for the previous two days)

We then played a few games of motorcycle bingo and a few motorcycle racing games (which I couldn't get pictures of since I was the only adult in the room)...

Next on the agenda:  motorcycle cupcakes (my Silhouette machine came in really handy for this party), some 'gasoline' juice (aka apple juice) and the obligatory popcorn twists (no Stolte party is complete without them)...

And of course, the gift opening...

And then the kids all went off to play by themselves for a while.  Over the years, I have learned that as much fun as party games are, really they are happiest when they are playing their own games together.  Free play - and lots of it!

After every party, I always feel a bit let down.  I feel like it wasn't quite enough or I could have done something different.  But then I upload the pictures, and realized that this is the reason I put so much work and effort and sweat equity into these days:

I want this little boy to know that he is important.  I want this little boy to know that he is loved beyond measure.  I want this little boy to know that the day he came into this world is a day that we will celebrate each year with joy.  

And I want this little boy to know that I would go to the moon and back to make his birthday one to remember.