Noah's 2nd Birthday Party

We packed quite a few people into our apartment for Noah's birthday party on Sunday; roughly 20 adults, and precisely 6 toddlers. I invited guests to come at 2:00, since most of the kids go for their nap around noon, including Noah. Noah went down for his nap before noon, and slept until shortly after 2. This meant we could do food prep uninterrupted (which I always seem to be doing up until the bitter end when I entertain). We were also able to put up the decorations at this time. Noah may not have gone so easily for his nap had we decorated the room with a Mickey Mouse theme beforehand!

The success of the party, however, really depended on our guest of honour, and his reaction upon waking to such an overwhelming scene. Well, he approved! I believe Mickey Mouse played a large part in this positive reaction. Not only was he happy, but he remained happy for the duration of the party! (I know - for a toddler to remain in one emotional state for 2 whole hours is inconceivable!) It was so fantastic that he could really enjoy his own party. This made it a complete success.

Older siblings Emily and Jacob in a moment of adoration for their little bro.

We served: egg salad, turkey and cheese sandwiches (some of which were cut into little shapes for the kiddies), macaroni salad, Greek salad, fruit salad, and some other hors d'oeuvres. I made sure I had sippy cups of water for the kids as well. We used Mickey Mouse paper plates, plastic cutlery and plastic cups to minimize the dish washing that would inevitably ensue.

The Noah's Ark cupcakes were made by a friend, who (with her friend) runs a cupcake business called "Yummy Mummy Cupcakes." Their Facebook Group can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?.gid=310188892658&ref=ts. They also have a website: http://ymcupcakes.blogspot.com/. Take a look at some of the stuff they've done. It is absolutely incredible.

Noah's face lit up when we all sang Happy Birthday to him! And everyone loved the cupcakes!

I decided to make this a very unstructured party. Maybe next year, when Noah turns 3, the kids can play some games. At this age, they're not ready for that, and they don't need it. Many of the kids stuck by their mothers for most of the party anyways, exploring a little here and there. It was basically a big play date, and all the children seemed to have a great time. 

Noah's present opening was sporadic: some before the cake, some after. The lucky man got so many nice things! My only regret was being so busy with the food that I missed a lot of it. Next year I will either be more organized with the food, or better yet, I'll just leave the food alone and sit to see my little guy open his gifts! 

He took one of his new presents, Simba, to sleep with him that night. I hadn't seen him cuddle with stuffed animals until then. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen!