No Girls Allowed

Following one great Easter weekend birthday with our little family, Porter finally got the birthday party he has been talking about ever since he went to his friend Jonathan's Toy Story party the first weekend in February. The almost three-month party planning started with one almost-five-year-old edict: no girls.

From there, we went back and forth between themes based on whatever Porter had most recently played with his friends at preschool. We went from superheroes to Transformers to race cars, back to superheroes, then to dinosaurs, and finally back to race cars. Considering this one eats, sleeps and breathes Matchbox cars, Lightning McQueen and Mighty Machines, the birthday boy's final selection was not at all surprising.

So we played Red Light, Green Light.

Had a stoplight tire toss.

And the big event: the Piston Cup, complete with pit stops to change tires from one crew member to the next.

Opened presents.

And if you've never watched a group of little boys clamor for the best spot in gifting, you should. So much fun to hear the sudden "Awesome!" and "Open mine next!" and "Oh yeah! I always wanted this!" pop out of the impenetrable mass of t-shirts, spikes and curls.

As expected, this fiery gal held her own just fine amidst the big boys.

And finished off with cake.

Note to self: next year, give yourself that extra half hour before start time.

That's right, we were 15 minutes late to our own party because, not at all surprisingly, somebody did not think it would take "that long" to finish up her two-day baking project.

It was a lot of work, but most definitely worth it to see this rapidly growing up little guy running and playing and laughing with his pals at his side. So much fun.