Stockton's 7th birthday

Stockton turned 7 on June 25, 2016.  Lucky for him, his birthday this year landed on a Saturday so Justin was home.  I made him all his requested, most favorite meals.  For breakfast it was rice pudding.  I know, strange!!

 

After breakfast we gave him his gifts.  The scavenger hunt for gifts has become a tradition.  Plus it means I don't have to do any wrapping.  Molly helped Justin with the clues this time.  I love how all the kids get so excited to hunt down presents right along with the birthday kid.  He got his favorite treats (bubble gum suckers, gummy bears, and Starbursts), a Braves T-shirt, some sheet protectors for his trading cards, and his main gift was a pitching net.

We went mini golfing after presents.  We went through the course quickly and had to keep telling Stockton that he had to wait for the rest of us before he started a new hole.  He would have raced through that course so fast if we would have let him.  At one point he was three holes ahead of the rest of the family.  We didn't keep score or take turns much, just let everyone go. 

I tried to keep Ivy in the stroller but realized it was a losing battle so eventually I gave up my ball and putter to her.

Gene and April came to visit for a couple hours that afternoon.  They brought Camille's boys with them so we were able to have them eat lunch with us.  Stockton's requested lunch was grilled hot dogs, chips (he chose Fritos at the store), watermelon, and Kool-aid Bursts.  We ate on the back deck.

Ivy, Micah, Stockton, Cameron, Molly, Brynn, Riley

From Gene and April, Stockton got a set of walkie-talkies, a whistle rocket, and some flying discs.

Stockton spent the afternoon playing with his new things while I got his dinner all ready.  He wanted meatballs.  He's requested this meal for the last few years so no big surprise there.  We ate dinner outside as well and he was getting silly so I couldn't get a normal picture of him.

After dinner when it was starting to get dusky outside, Justin took the big TV outside and got it all set up so we could watch a movie on the lawn.  Stockton was dying to see the newest Star Wars that came out last December so we finally let him.  We had told him no from the beginning because of its PG-13 rating but Justin saw it and said he thought it was okay for the kids to watch.  It wasn't just Stockton who was excited-excitement level was high for all kids!  I had taken Stocky to the store to pick out popcorn and his favorite movie treats.  He picked Whoppers and licorice nibs.   

The kids got in their jammies and laid their sleeping bags out and got comfy.  We started the movie just when it was starting to get dark.

This was such a fun birthday activity-I loved watching Stockton because he was just so happy and couldn't believe that we could do something like watch a movie outside.  And Star Wars?  It really didn't get much better for him in that moment.  We didn't even finish the movie until close to 11:30!  Good thing our kids are so good at sleeping in (for reals, they are awesome).

 

I laughed at Justin when he came out carrying the LazyBoy!  But then I stopped laughing because he was much more comfy in that than I was in my camp chair.

Grandma and Grandpa Moyes were able to visit the following Monday and watch Stockton's baseball game.  They came a little early so he could open presents.  They gave him clothes, a fishing pole and tackle box, and a bat bag to hold all his baseball gear.  My dad also gave him an old baseball that he's had for a while signed by Tom Glavine, who pitched for the Braves for lots and lots of years.

After Stocky's game we all went out to Dairy Keen for dinner.

It was Stockton's year for a friend party but since we still don't have a lot of friends up here-or at least any that I know well-it worked out that we had his party with all the Moyes cousins when we were in Plain City for our dentist appointments.  Stockton wanted a World Series party so I had him and Molly make up the invitations on the computer.  See how clever they were-they found pictures of Babe Ruth when he played for the Dodgers and one when he played for the Braves.

The first thing we did as kids were arriving was to give them a piece of bubble gum and have a bubble gum blowing contest.  I didn't get a picture of everyone but I think Molly won out of the kids and Erin from the adults.  Erin had mad bubble blowing skills that impressed all the kids. She could even blow a bubble inside a bubble!

Tessa

Chloe

Erin

Ben

Next up was some batting practice.  I had blown up a whole bunch of water balloons the night before and we used those in place of baseballs.

Ben

Gavin

 

Then we had a cake walk, although we didn't have cake for prizes.  Molly and Stockton decorated the paper plates to look like baseballs.  They got beat up quickly.

Brynn and Harper

Harper, Gavin, Chloe, Molly, Ben, Grant, Brynn, Stockton

Next was some throwing practice-the dunk tank!  

Brynn throwing at Grant

We ended the party with a game of kickball.  We were going to do baseball but we forgot to tell everyone to bring mitts so kickball worked instead.  We set up our slip 'n slide from third to home base so they could slide into home.  

Tessa tagging Stockton

Stockton's party lunch was identical to his birthday lunch: Grandpa grilled hot dogs, we had chips, watermelon, and Kool-aid.  We also had Cracker Jacks (you know, "buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks") and Baby Ruth candy bars.

Ivy, Tessa, Grace, Brynn

Chloe and Molly

Grant, Ben, Stockton, Gavin

Stockton opened a few more presents.  He got a nerf gun, a water balloon launcher, and some camping/backpacking gear.

And, finally, his birthday cake!  He requested vanilla cake and we just did white frosting with red M&M's to make the baseball laces.  I also made funfetti cupcakes with white frosting and licorice ropes for the baseball laces but I didn't take a picture of those. 

We ended the party with a couple hours of swimming before we headed home for Stockton's final baseball game of the season.  He is so lucky that his birthday is in the summer and I feel blessed to have so many people that love him on both sides of his family.  My kids' support net is large.  I know he had a great week and it was fun to celebrate him on more than just one occasion!  Happy Birthday Stockton!  We love you!!

Stockton's birthday interview:
 Favorite color: blue

Favorite movie: Star Wars

Favorite breakfast: rice pudding

Favorite dinner: meatballs

Best friend: Easton and Corbin

Favorite TV show: Scooby Doo

Favorite scripture story: Adam and Eve

Favorite book: Goodnight Baseball

Favorite game: that train game

Favorite story: doesn't have one/doesn't know

Other kids think that I am: that I'm a good sport

What do you like about your Mom? you make me dinner almost every day 

What do you like about your Dad? he wrestles with me

What do you like about Molly? she lets me have some of her candy

What do you like about Brynn? she plays with me a lot

What do you like about Ivy? that she's cute

What do you like about yourself? that I play baseball good

When I grow up I want to be: a professional ball player

I like learning about: computers

I want to go to: Atlanta (to see a Braves game)

If I had one wish it would be: grow up and be a professional ball player

Favorite thing to do: play baseball

Favorite song: Whenever I Hear the Song of a Bird