Clay's 10th Birthday Party

Clay doesn't actually turn 10 for another few weeks, but school is out by then. We've learned to work around vacationing friends by having Clay's party early.

I am not a big party planner. The simpler the better, in my mind.

Clay wanted chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. And a Nascar themed party.

Done...



We planned to order pizza, so we cut the kids loose to play in the yard until everyone showed up and we could get a head count.





Clay is under this heap somewhere...



Unofficially, the deal in our house is that I'll take care of food and getting the house ready for the party. Bruce provides crowd control and takes care of games. Clay wanted to play Capture the Flag. I have no idea what it's about. But Bruce does. See, this tag team thing works!

I'm not sure if Bruce is explaining the rules of Capture the Flag here, or if he was getting ready to let the kids dive into the bucket full of water balloons. Either way... his job.



Girls opting out of rough play... Kayleigh Ann, Jordan and Ruthie.



Capture the Flag... Team 1... Joseph A., Dylan, Clay, Carson, Amanda and Brayden.



Capture the Flag... Team 2... Allison and Avery, representing the girls, and Michael, Joseph K., Nathan and Spencer, rounding out the posse.



Taking food orders...





This was not planned. My neighbor Rachel noticed it first, so I snapped the picture.

The girls' table...



The boys' table...



I hope that was water, and not ginger ale...



I think they all enjoyed themselves.

E-I, E-I, Oops!

The entire first grade put on a music show called "E-I, E-I, Oops!"

My kids worked hard on their lines. Actually, Allison did. She'd tell me several times in the weeks leading up to today's show what her line was. And then she'd tell me the extra line she had to memorize, in case a fellow classmate was sick on the day of the music performance. Allison was one of many chicks.

Spencer was the cow. The only cow. And he said it was because his last name is Mooooooooo-dy. He acted like he wasn't very thrilled with being the cow. Up until the day of the performance.

Does this face look upset?



He left his mask off for most of the show. The whole play was about a farm animals, in particular a cow that wouldn't Moo. Right before he finally was convinced to Moo, he slipped his mask on. (That's his teacher beside him. We love Mrs. Jessee!)



Here's our little chick, up in the middle of the top row.



Ohhh, she's concentrating!



Finally, a cow that Moos... but minus the mask again.