Avery's 7!

It's hard to believe that Avery is now a big 7 year old! He's been rounding up and telling people he's 7 for several weeks now, so he was excited for the big day to actually arrive. I was worried that he'd be upset that Phil wasn't home for his birthday, but a package from Phil in the mail along with the promise of a special souvenir seemed to make things ok. Papaw had just left from his visit, and Mimi and Grandpa came in the day before, so we did have special family on hand to help us celebrate and keep us distracted. It was a school day, but Avery woke up bright and early to open his gifts. 

He told Mimi and Grandpa that he liked their present better than the ones from Mom (although I helped pick it out!). He's big into Pokemon, Yokai Watch, and Slugterra these days, so he was extra excited about his Yokai Watch stuffed animal and Slugterra shirt and figurines... further proof that you can find anything on Amazon prime. ;)

Birthday hugs :)

I couldn't resist snagging this slip 'n slide for more water fun to cool us off this summer.

After taking him to school, I ran errands to pick up balloons, get treats for goodie bags, grab drinks for the party, etc. He requested Burger King (yuck..) for his birthday lunch, so I was able to bring it to him, along with his crown, and eat lunch with him at school. It was fun to see him and his friends and how they interact with each other. The lunch table brought back lots of memories! He was really excited to have me there. He was also excited about the special chocolate chip cookies I left for the class to enjoy later that day.

I had my eye on the weather for days, and the forecast was only getting worse. He was supposed to have a Pokemon themed pool party, so it was naturally calling for 99% chance of rain all through the evening. We made an execute decision to move the party to the indoor playground on base, and thankfully, all of our little friends who had rspvd were able to make it there. I am always surprised at how few people actually rsvp these days (we invited the entire class, and only 2 parents let us know if they were coming). Thankfully, our military friends are the best and showed up to love on our sweet boy. It was a good call to move the party because it POURED down rain, and we even had tornado sirens going off at one point. I'm cursing Phil under my breath through the whole ordeal, but my parents and our friends were a big help in pulling off the party.

Avery's decided he doesn't much like cake, so a giant brownie from Sams with a few Pokemon candles was the way to go....and super yummy. The kids also ate pizza, salad, goldfish, and fruit. Avery looks like he actually went swimming, but he's soaking wet with sweat (ew). The air conditioning wasn't working all that well, and it was pretty hot and stuffy. He's sporting his new Slugterra shirt from Mimi and Grandpa. 

No Avery party would be complete without a few tears...this time over his friends wanting to help blow out his candles. 

He pulled himself together enough to open his gifts. ;)

He loved getting cards and gifts in the mail from friends and family, and he also really enjoyed shopping with his birthday book money from Nana and Papaw for new Captain Underpants books. 

Thank you to everyone who helped to make his big day special! Can't believe I'm the mom of such a big kid! He certainly knows how to push my buttons, but this kid is smart as a whip and has a heart of gold. I'm honored to be his Mommy and excited to see what God has planned for him!