Halloween Christmas Birthday

Saturday night Joe and I got costumed. Now why, in the middle of February, would we have the need to get dressed up in costumes? It's not Halloween, we aren't staring in some kind of community theater production of Guys and Dolls, though I would totally sign up for that, nope, on a Saturday night we had to get decked out and festive for our friend Aedan's fifth birthday party.

Aedan is a creative go getter. When he decides he wants a Halloween Christmas themed birthday party, a brilliant idea if you ask me, he makes it happen. Or he gets his indulgent and fabulous parents to make it happen. You get the decorative look of Christmas, the costumes of Halloween and all the cake and abundant frosting of both. Though somehow a select group of Aedan's family dislikes frosting. How is this possible? It's frosting.

February is always a guaranteed party month for us. Between several birthdays, including Joe's, we know there will be plenty of time to celebrate. And for the last five years, the biggest party of the month is Aedan's. This is a kid's party only in the fact that, yes, it is to celebrate Aedan and he is technically a kid. It started at 4pm and there are other kids in attendance certainly, a Firefighter, the Little Mermaid, Superman.  But this is a party as much for the adults as for the kids. Tons of great food, some bubbly alcoholic beverages, stories, jokes and ridiculous laughter, plus this time around we got to add costumes to the mix.

There was Wonder Women/Kristen - Aedan's mom and handler, College Student/Sean - Aedan's dad and the terrific caterer for the night (not really dressed as a college student I just defaulted to this costume title based on the Birkenstocks with socks that Sean was rocking,) Hipster Cat/Liz, Zombie Elf/Keri (mashing both the Halloween and Christmas themes together quite successfully, though the fake blood she had drawn coming out of her nose made it very difficult to have a conversation with her without wanting to hand her a Kleenex,) Christmas Light Decorated Hulk/Leslie, Christmas Sweatered/Tara, Mike and Maddie, Paparrazo Joe complete with douchey hat (that I admit I actually like) and I went with the default flapper simply because one should never pass up the chance to wear fringe.

We ate, we drank, we chatted, we laughed at the kids, with the kids, ooed and ahhed at the amazing cake that the cake decorator must have been giddy to put together, and we celebrated Aedan, who was dressed up as a Minion once he decided that Iron Man wasn't going to cut it.  So happy birthday, kiddo! It's been a joy to get to watch you grow up over the last five years. You're like a real person, with a sassy wit and vocabulary and stubbornness that certainly drives your parents to drink, and all this is freaky and amazing to us, because we remember meeting you at the hospital the day you arrived. As the first baby born to our close group of friends, your arrival changed your parents' lives, and ours too, and we've loved every minute of it. Though we are lucky enough to just get all the good parts: parties, blueberry picking, making foam dinosaurs, pretending to eat your fingers dipped in ranch, hugs goodnight, and none of the hard stuff.  We love you, kid! Can't wait to see how you drive your parents insane in the next five years, the first five have been a kick to watch!

All photos by Joe Sands, who was decked out in a neck full of Mardi Gras beads by the end of the night. He said he earned them the hard way.