Ssssssssssssomebody's FIVE!

That's right!  My little crybaby, reason I started the blog Lincoln is FIVE years old!  I was just weeks from delivering him when I started blogging.  My consistency has probably never been lower but I can only blame that on a certain little someone of the female variety!  

Lincoln had wanted to have a SNAKE birthday party for a while.  He wavered into superheroes a few times but always came back to snakes.  Jason and I believe that within reason we should try to give the kids the birthday party that they want.  They will only turn 5 once and it should be a day they remember forever.  Lincoln had even drawn pictures of his snake party and the snake man that would bring them here.  Thank goodness Jason contacted the snake man and signed him up!  

In the weeks leading up to the party I did what every good modern mama does these days.  I started a pinterest board for snake party ideas.  Of the ideas I pinned, few were carried out but I feel like I did my mama duty nonetheless by initiating the pinning procedure.  

We used this awesome banner that has been used for Lincoln's birthday for the last 3 years now.  Some of my mom's students made it for his 3rd birthday and it's lasted through 2 more!

Ok, thisssss (haha) was so cute I couldn't resist.  Apparently no party is complete without goodie bags and these were easy and cute and cheap to boot!

Mr. Clint (aka the Snake Man) is preparing to handle snakes...in my living room.  I wasn't so sure about having them inside.  We had a whole back yard that would be great to handle snakes in but he assured Jason that the snakes would do better inside.  

Lincoln didn't have any trouble cuddling up next to these cold blooded reptiles!  It took me a little more getting used to.  The way the man talked about them, they sounded like teddy bears.  

Lincoln was the first to hold each of them and he was the one to help place them back into their pillow cases also.  WHY they keep snakes in pillow cases I do not know!  

Jackson HATES this photo.  He looks terrified.  I'm pretty sure he wasn't at all afraid but showing it to him and watching him squeal is too much fun!  

Lincoln and his buddy August!  He's made quick friends in the year we've lived here.  School friends, gym friends and neighbors all attended the reptile affair!

This one was a crowd favorite.  She was a stubby tailed boa and she was very "curious" as the snake man says.  He stubby tail cracked me up, he said she was a little self conscious of it.  

The grand finale included a albino burmese python.  It was HEAVY but actually really pretty.  I decided I'd give this one a go.  

Yeah, it still kinda freaked me out a little, it was so cold and so heavy.  

Now, this is what I considered the grand finale.   In all my pinteresting, I decided I could tackle the cake making.  I enlisted the help of my good friend Emily and then I proceeded to dominate her entire day with helping me make a snake cake.  While it did take the majority of a day to complete, it was totally worth it!  I was pretty proud of my limited cake making ability.  I even managed to use paper towel grain to press "scales" onto the icing.  The inside was red velvet to mimic real snake blood.  Yes, it was truly my crowning glory in the cake making world.  It was both my debut and my grand finale. The alpha and omega.  You won't find me making another cake any time soon.  I'll be paying tribute to my local baker for future birthday events.  

Lincoln was the "junior snake handler" at his party!  He's pretty proud of that award, as if there was ever a doubt that he'd win.  

Here'ssssssssss looking at you kid!  You came into this world crying.  You often still do.  You can't stand your pockets to be crumpled up and your shoes rarely ever feel right.  Every single day I have to get your pajama shirt inside out while you do the pants.  You hold the doors for me while I push baby sister through them.  You love to play in the water, sink, hose, doesn't matter.  You can't ride anywhere at 5pm in the car without falling dead asleep.  Your best friend and worse enemy is your brother Jackson.  You love your baby sister but especially so when other people are around.  You like to hide and scare me or "disappear" and have me look for you.  You graze in the kitchen all morning eating every bar, pop tart or sweet food I'll allow.  After that, you might not eat anything else the rest of the day unless it's sneaking a snack in the pantry and me finding the wrapper a few weeks later.   You're a good boy and on the occasion that you do require punishment, you will often say "I love you, mom" or "can you give me a kiss before you spank me?"  I always oblige, then continue with said punishment.  I love your quirky self more than you'll ever know.  You were born to be a middle child!  Maybe that's why you're Nana's pick! 

 You're most definitely my favorite 5 year old!

Note: the above snake has a mustache!  It's such a cute mustache, he couldn't be that bad, right?