Birthday Fun and the Birthday Tree

We started a new fun tradition at our house, the "Birthday Tree". It is decorated with cupcakes, stars, hearts and all things birthday. It will go up a week or so before each of the kids' birthdays each year. I hope this will make them feel extra special around their birthday and help build anticipation for the big day. I think it turned out really cute and think it will be lots of fun. I sort of wish I had thought of doing this sooner, so the other two could have had it for all their birthdays. BUT, I actually decided I am glad we started it with Thad. As the poor third child he doesn't have much that's new or get to do much first, so it is sort of special that he got to be the first to have the "Birthday Tree".

He even got to go "help" me find and make some decorations and put them on the tree.

I will use most of the same decorations for Hollace's turn, except I got some different ribbon and a pink crown for the top. I tried to make it not too girly- you know, a unisex tree, but Brent informed me I didn't do a very good job of that, that it has too much pink. I will try to work on that for next time.

It is sort of different on birthdays now that we don't have lots of family here. We didn't really have a big birthday party either. Poor Thad. I don't think he really cared though.

He loved opening his presents and couldn't get his new shoes on fast enough. The boy loves shoes.

More presents..........notice the little helper hands.

We invited a couple of the neighbor kids to come over and have some birthday cupcake.

Thad was loving the icing.

One of the kids got some icing on their nose and everyone laughed, so of course they all had to get icing on their noses.

LOVE this picture of my sweet 2 year old.

This is the box that my mom used to send her gifts. I think they had as much fun with the box as they did with the gifts inside.

They were pretending it was a time machine. The foam paintbrushes clipped on with clothes pins had some special function, though I'm not sure what. I'm also not sure what is going on with Thad's shirt. He does this a lot, for some reason.