Partyin' Partyin' YEAH!

Ben asked his mom for a popcorn party for his 5th birthday. Yes, a popcorn party. I had never heard of a popcorn party before, but that didn't stop me from blindly renting a popper and making a mood board.

The day before the party I decided I'd better check with Leiah to make sure that by popcorn party Ben meant the snack and not some superhero I'd never heard of. Dodged a bullet on that one and Leiah and I stayed up until 3 am snipping marshmallows and turning cupcakes into sweet popcorn boxes.

The party was adorable, and thanks to Steve de Ruble's job as a "package engineer," we got a couple of giant popcorn boxes and the kids were able to go inside them and play... which scored me big points toward best auntie ever. Boxes and balloons. That's all you need to keep kids entertained. For two hours.

After everyone had left, Leiah, Ben, and Lilly stayed and helped break down the party, which was my favorite time of the whole day. Lilly pulled at the grass while Leiah and Ben sat on balloons and got pop surprises. It was just one of those unexpected perfect moments, propelled by a 5-year-old's delight and the sanctity of a backyard. Success.