It's no secret that Brantley's first birthday party was a bit over the top. We wanted to do pretty much the opposite this year. No friends, just family, and since none of them live where we do, we decided to have two smaller parties in each of his grandparents' hometowns.
First up, Fairfield. We headed to Iowa for the 4th of July and simultaneously celebrated Brantley's birthday on the 4th. Burgers, brats, and cupcakes--that my mom supplied, which made my life way easier--was the extent of his "party". And entirely too many gifts, of course, from the mere seven family members in attendance (Gramma, Papa, Aunt Trisha, Uncle Justin, Kellen, and his GGs).
Call me cruel but the best of the day came when he opened a soccer ball piggy bank. He assumed it was a real soccer ball and became beyond excited. The moment he realized the base was attached and it wasn't a real ball - priceless. He threw a fit. A crying, screaming, upset-with-a-capital-U fit. It.was.hilarious. And perfectly describes his sports-loving, 2-year old personality.
Gramma made cupcakes with Mickey Mouse liners and decorated them with 4th of July sprinkles. Two celebrations in one. They were delicious, of course!
And that was about it for his Iowa "party". Low key, but special nonetheless.
Next up, Wichita! This one called for a little more planning on my part. We rented a shelter at Buffalo Park near Grandma's house. We had our fingers crossed that it was a nice park, as my husband had never heard of it and I, of course, am very unfamiliar with Wichita. It turned out to be awesome (minus the extra long walk to the parking lot). Not only was the park great, so was the day! Kansas in mid-July can be quite miserable, but lucky for us, it was sunny and a perfect 80 degrees. We couldn't have asked for a better day!
We had a traditional barbeque picnic complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, chips, lemonade, beer, and cake. Despite not throwing a huge birthday bash, I still got to "party plan" and coordinate some of the decor!
I ordered a cake from a local Wichita bakery. I didn't give them much direction other than a picnic-themed second birthday. It turned out pretty cute!
Once again, the kid got too many gifts. Half of them are still in boxes in his closet and, like last year, will make for a nice mid-winter surprise. However, he just couldn't wait to play with some. Favorites include his soccer goal and real football.
It's also tradition for Papa Sides to give his grandchildren a tricycle on their second birthdays. This tradition was started by Papa's dad (Brantley's Great Grandpa Sides) with his grandchildren (Craig and cousins) and Papa couldn't be prouder to keep the tradition going. Brantley loves his new tricycle, despite not quite able to reach the pedals.
After gifts, it was time for cake. Turns out, Brantley's pretty good at blowing out a candle...and then some. I'm not sure there was a piece of cake without slobber. Gross.
We attempted a photo with all the kiddos. It didn't go so well.
And a few other pictures from the day.
 |
| With our BIG two-year old! |
We had such a great time celebrating with both sides of the family. Thanks to those who came out to help him ring in the big 2!
No comments:
Post a Comment