Live. Laugh. Love.: Cora's Luau Birthday Party

Following the Dart Frog Dash, we ate a packed lunch in the car and then got home for a nap before heading out to Cora's 5th birthday party in the afternoon. Sophie's been a stubborn napper lately and, though she definitely still needs one, she fights falling asleep until 2:30 or even 3:00 some days. Soooo frustrating when we have afternoon plans. So we arrived late to the party today. Will's still hit or miss. His naps are rare these days, but sometimes out of no where, he'll crash for three hours mid-day. So we usually still have him lay down. I wonder if that boy will ever start to require less sleep. He kind of turns into crazy-boy around early evening unless he's had time to at least rest. "Quiet time" is enforced in our house on weekends when Sophie naps. Will has to lay down with no distractions for at least an hour and then he can find a quiet activity if he hasn't fallen asleep.

Tangent over.

So Cora's party theme was a luau. I was excited to put Sophie in the maxi dress I'd bought for her at the end of last summer on sale from Gap. The neck strap is a little long, so we ended up unclasping it and just tying the straps tighter later on. You can almost see a little too much on top in this pic. :) But I thought she looked adorable. And good thing I took her picture before we left... As we walked into the backyard where the party was going on, we could see a bunch of the kids in swim suits playing on a blow-up water toy... and Sophie was taking off her dress right in front of everyone just a few steps into the backyard. Haha!!

And her cute new hairstyle was drenched with water as soon as she got out there to join the other kids. And I have to add, it was only in the high 60's/low 70's today! Those kids were CRAZY getting wet in those temperatures, but they all had a blast and smiled through their shivers every time they took a break. The sun was warm until a little later in the evening, so that helped.

Hula girls! Grass skirts and leis for every little girl.

Water sliding.

Our little cookie thief.

Singing Happy Birthday. And cookies all around for the kids.

Linc's up next with his 3rd birthday on the same day as Mya & Stella - June 2nd!

Molly had a sand art craft table set up for the kids to make a take-home party favor. They loved this!

My kids LOVE trampolines. Our babysitter has one too and I suggested to Craig that we get one this year for a joint birthday gift for Will & Sophie. Well we didn't and I think we're regretting it a little bit. We're thinking about it, though!

Will and Lyla were playing popcorn, trying to jump and bounce the other one. :)

It's hard to get any sort of lift when you're both such lightweights! Haha!

Gift opening.

I got the back view of a cousin group hug after Cora opened the joint gift from us and the Rethmans.

My pretty Goddaughter. Getting to be so grown up!

Trampoline duck-duck-goose. :)

There was even limbo at this luau party!

Soph, Stella & Mya decided to play 3-person duck-duck-goose later and that went okay for a little bit...

But then they just got a little... um... lazy and the ducking was done from a stand still position and a tap from one head to the other. Hahahaha!! I'm cracking up at Sophie's anticipation and arms prepped behind her for a quick lift off if she's chosen as the goose.

After most of the party guests left and it was just us and the Rethmans remaining, a cousins dance party ensued complete with multiple wardrobe changes from Cora and all their favorite tunes. :) We shut that party down! And it was so nice and relaxing and fun. I remember many similar occasions when I was growing up with all my aunts, uncles and cousins. It makes for good memories.

I believe this is called King Cobra pose. And Cora is rockin' it! So unfair how naturally flexible kids are. I doubt I'll ever achieve this. ;-) When I said that, Molly and Casey looked at me funny like "really? you don't think you could do that? it doesn't look that hard!" So they both tried it and were like "ohhhhh... never mind". :-)