Bear Air
Riley Bear is TWO! And I am totally taking advantage of the fact that he is still too young to have an opinion about what kind of birthday he should have. He he So, before I start getting requests for commercialized characters and video games, I wanted to try something a little more "little boy classic". Airplanes.
I'd seen a bunch of ideas online that made great inspiration for an airplane party. I basically wanted to make some ideas my own and then simplify even more. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awe-inspiring to see these parties held at an actual airport, in the belly of a retired KC-130 (I'm not making this up) complete with professional cakes and sweets, specially made gift bags and tailored linens, but we are a bit more low key and low budget around here. Even if I could, I don't think I could bring myself to literally (LIT-rally) spend hundreds of dollars on my two-year-old's birthday party. He won't even remember it. I'm thinking, a fun cake, some cutie decorations and a fun touch here and there to make it fun for the rest of us (I mean, he doesn't care.).
One idea I'd seen and thought would be fun for the cake was to decorate it with fluffy white frosting and then add a plane and pipe little trails around it to show where it flew. Rather than making a plane from frosting, I thought it would be fun to make some plane sugar cookies and then use a cookie on the cake. Luckily, I was able to find a plane cookie cutter and then we were in business. Riley knew what it was and was very excited to eat the plane cake. :)
My parents were coming up for the party, so I was thinking about a fun way to do lunch for the occasion. One blog I'd looked at had done some little airline food lunches in plastic lunch containers like you'd get from a lunch cart or something. Very fun idea, but I had no idea where to find those short of going to the Business Costco and investing in 200 plastic lunch containers. Then I found some little compartmented lunch trays at the dollar store. Sold!
I then decorated the table with some cloud fabric I had left over from another project. It made a perfect table runner. Then I added some of Caleb's toy planes. Voila!
The entire day of the party, all Riley could talk about was cake. We'd ask him if he was having a birthday. His response..."caaaake".
"How old are you, Riley?"
"Teeooo. Caaaake."
"Do you get to open up presents, Riley?"
"Caaaake."
It was pretty hilarious. It was the runny gag throughout the day.
When it was time for lunch, everyone enjoyed their "in flight meal" served by Stephanie their flight attendant. He he Even adults enjoy a little fun and make-believe. :) Riley really liked his plane cookie, eating his apple sauce and getting his very own bag of chips. Simple pleasures, I love it!
Next he opened up his presents. He got a fun Fisher-Price airplane from Nana and Papa, some cars from Aunt Laura and a Sesame Street MP3 player that he loved from Uncle Don.
His big present from us was a water table. I had really wanted something that could get him using his imagination, while also exploring and learning. I thought of sand, but decided against the inevitable mess, and I tell you it's been the best $30 I've spent on a child. Even without the water in it, his little cars and trains fit on it and so it doubles as a little train table! We can put it outside and put a couple pitchers of water in it and there's a little water wheel and boat to use. There are also little bellows that shoot water out. So fun that the older boys enjoyed it, too! Then dump out the water and bring it back inside and he's back to playing with his toys on it. Awesome!
Funny enough, when we finally got to the part with the cake, Riley didn't really get too excited. All that talk. He DIDN'T cry this time when we sang him "Happy Birthday" and did blow his two little candles out all by himself for the first time. However, once we gave him the cake, he just poked at it, ate some frosting and then was done with it. Okey dokey. I was just glad I hadn't sprung for the designer cake. ;)
(Isn't he the cutest? Gotta love those blue socks with sandals. All him, baby.)
I'd seen a bunch of ideas online that made great inspiration for an airplane party. I basically wanted to make some ideas my own and then simplify even more. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awe-inspiring to see these parties held at an actual airport, in the belly of a retired KC-130 (I'm not making this up) complete with professional cakes and sweets, specially made gift bags and tailored linens, but we are a bit more low key and low budget around here. Even if I could, I don't think I could bring myself to literally (LIT-rally) spend hundreds of dollars on my two-year-old's birthday party. He won't even remember it. I'm thinking, a fun cake, some cutie decorations and a fun touch here and there to make it fun for the rest of us (I mean, he doesn't care.).
One idea I'd seen and thought would be fun for the cake was to decorate it with fluffy white frosting and then add a plane and pipe little trails around it to show where it flew. Rather than making a plane from frosting, I thought it would be fun to make some plane sugar cookies and then use a cookie on the cake. Luckily, I was able to find a plane cookie cutter and then we were in business. Riley knew what it was and was very excited to eat the plane cake. :)
My parents were coming up for the party, so I was thinking about a fun way to do lunch for the occasion. One blog I'd looked at had done some little airline food lunches in plastic lunch containers like you'd get from a lunch cart or something. Very fun idea, but I had no idea where to find those short of going to the Business Costco and investing in 200 plastic lunch containers. Then I found some little compartmented lunch trays at the dollar store. Sold!
I then decorated the table with some cloud fabric I had left over from another project. It made a perfect table runner. Then I added some of Caleb's toy planes. Voila!
The entire day of the party, all Riley could talk about was cake. We'd ask him if he was having a birthday. His response..."caaaake".
"How old are you, Riley?"
"Teeooo. Caaaake."
"Do you get to open up presents, Riley?"
"Caaaake."
It was pretty hilarious. It was the runny gag throughout the day.
When it was time for lunch, everyone enjoyed their "in flight meal" served by Stephanie their flight attendant. He he Even adults enjoy a little fun and make-believe. :) Riley really liked his plane cookie, eating his apple sauce and getting his very own bag of chips. Simple pleasures, I love it!
Next he opened up his presents. He got a fun Fisher-Price airplane from Nana and Papa, some cars from Aunt Laura and a Sesame Street MP3 player that he loved from Uncle Don.
His big present from us was a water table. I had really wanted something that could get him using his imagination, while also exploring and learning. I thought of sand, but decided against the inevitable mess, and I tell you it's been the best $30 I've spent on a child. Even without the water in it, his little cars and trains fit on it and so it doubles as a little train table! We can put it outside and put a couple pitchers of water in it and there's a little water wheel and boat to use. There are also little bellows that shoot water out. So fun that the older boys enjoyed it, too! Then dump out the water and bring it back inside and he's back to playing with his toys on it. Awesome!
Funny enough, when we finally got to the part with the cake, Riley didn't really get too excited. All that talk. He DIDN'T cry this time when we sang him "Happy Birthday" and did blow his two little candles out all by himself for the first time. However, once we gave him the cake, he just poked at it, ate some frosting and then was done with it. Okey dokey. I was just glad I hadn't sprung for the designer cake. ;)
It was a good little birthday for our Riley Bear, though. He loved visiting with my parents and all the attention and gifts. I think he'll be excited to have another birthday next year. We'll see if I get any party idea requests from him.
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