Jaxsen's 3rd Birthday Party

We were finally able to celebrate Jaxsen's 3rd birthday with our family and friends on Saturday, April 26th. He had turned 3 about 3 weeks earlier, but we waited so long to have his birthday party because we wanted to be able to celebrate while he was on a break from his chemo. He was scheduled to finish up with Round 3 on April 24th, so we knew that the 26th would be the perfect time to have his party. We'd be able to celebrate the completion of another round AND his birthday...all at once!

Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day. We were expecting rain at some point that day, but it held off until after his party. Thank you, Mother Nature! The temperature got up to 70 degrees, which was perfect since the party was being held at a pavilion. We had rented a huge, colorful moon bounce for his party and had a few other outdoor games set up, so we were thrilled that the weather cooperated for his special day.

I asked Jaxsen a few months ago what kind of party he wanted, and he instantly responded, "A rocket ship party!" We have no idea how/why he became so obsessed with rockets, but we agreed and I quickly started planning. I never realized how few rocket toys and decorations existed until I started planning this party! Everything I found online was either Buzz Lightyear or alien-themed. It became evident that the majority of the decorations and activities would have to be homemade. I like to consider myself a pretty crafty person, so I did not mind the challenge one bit, but this year I was a bit more pressed for time than I was in the previous years. Gee, I wonder why?? :)

On the day of the party, our guests started rolling in right at 3pm. As soon as they arrived, they were given mini rockets to play with during the party. Each one included 3 little rockets and a small, squeezable pump to make the rockets zoom. The kids had a blast seeing who could shoot their rockets farthest. We weren't able to invite as many friends as we did in the previous years because of Jaxsen's weakened immune system, so I was afraid that our party wouldn't be as much of a success, but boy was I wrong! It was so great seeing Jaxsen reunited with his little friends...many of whom he hadn't seen since his diagnosis. We had such a great group of kids at the party and everyone seemed to get along well. Those mini rockets were a great way to get the kids who didn't know each other to break the ice.

The kids spent the majority of the party inside of the moon bounce. Even the adults got in to bounce! There were always at least 5 kids in there chasing each other, having bouncing contests, playing tag, or spinning in circles. Jaxsen and I liked playing ring-around-the-rosie inside with some of his other friends. Jax also liked dragging in his Grandpa or Uncle Mike (my dad and brother) and climbing all over them!

When the kids weren't bouncing, they were doing one of the other fun activities that we planned. Inside, we had a rocket tent that the kids could climb in and pretend that they were zooming to Mars. There was also a "Make Your Own Rocket" station where kids could make a rocket using a paper towel tube, scrapbook paper, ribbon, and space-themed stickers.

Outside, there was a "Rings of Saturn" game that required the children to toss hula hoops around a big bouncy ball. There was also a "Rocket Balloon" kit that we bought online. The kit included a standard balloon pump and 85 colorful balloons that were long and slender. They seemed like ordinary balloons at first, but when you filled them up with air and released them, they made a neat noise and shot up really high into the air. They also zig-zagged a lot more than a regular balloon would! The kids had a blast chasing them and trying to catch them as they soared through the air.

We had a few rocket toys at the party too. The kids took turning playing with a stomp rocket and chasing the rockets across the field. There was also a large red rocket that shot straight up into the air. At any given moment, guests had to watch out for zooming rockets and balloons that were soaring past them. They always had to be on their toes! It was a blast!

When guests got hungry, they snacked on our space-themed treats. We served Rice Krispy Stars (treats shaped like stars), Cheesy Asteroids (cheeseballs), Saturn's Rings (fudge cookies that were shaped like a ring), Shooting Stars and Flying Saucers (crackers, pepperoni, and star-shaped cheese), Black Holes (mini chocolate donuts), Full Moons (vanilla wafers), Planet Pops (swirly round lollipops), and Out of This World Chips & Salsa. We also served popcorn, fruit salad, and hotdogs. Guests definitely didn't go hungry at this party!

After about an hour and a half of snacking, bouncing, and shooting rockets in the air, we gathered everyone around one of the outdoor picnic tables so we could sing Happy birthday and eat cupcakes. We had planned on singing inside, so that we could eat cupcakes under the planets that were hanging from the ceiling, but it was such a nice day so we couldn't resist taking the party back outside. Jaxsen usually loves being the center of attention, but as soon as his family and friends started singing to him, he smiled sheepishly and ducked his head down so no one could see him smile. After we sang to him, Jax wished for a car and then tried blowing out his sparkler candles. He tried for a while, but eventually needed some help, which mommy and daddy were more than willing to give! We then handed out the cupcakes out and dug in! We made vanilla cupcakes with blue icing and yellow star sprinkles.

Jaxsen decided that it would be more fun to start a cupcake food fight, so he took a cupcake and smashed it right into Nick's face! Everyone got a kick out of it and before long, some of the other kids started rubbing icing on their own faces. Everyone looked like little blue aliens!

When everyone was finished with their cupcakes, we hung the pinata from one of the beams in the pavilion and had all of the children gather around. We let the birthday boy make the first few swings, and then had the rest of the kids take a turn based on their age. There were about 9 kids (aged 2-7) who tried their hand at whacking the pinata open, but none of them were able to smash it! The kids all had another turn at hitting the pinata and after a few minutes, the pinata started opening a little. The kids kept on whacking, and candy started falling out. The pinata itself was pretty invincible, because the candy was all smashed up, but the pinata had hardly any damage to it! Eventually, we just ripped the pinata open before all of the candy was ruined. The kids all pounced at the candy the second it dropped to the ground. They were like little vultures!

We spent the rest of the party bouncing on the moon bounce and talking with our family and friends. It was getting late though and our guests started heading out one-by-one. It was a great party and we couldn't have asked for a better day. The weather was perfect, our company was amazing, and the atmosphere was fun and laid-back. It was so great watching Jax play with his buddies, and we enjoyed catching up with some of our friends that we hadn't seen in a while. We have been so busy since the diagnosis that we haven't had much time to socialize, so we definitely took advantage of this time to talk with our friends.

We are so glad that Jaxsen had a blast at his party and we were thrilled that we were able to regain some normalcy into our lives by having a birthday party. His world was turned upside-down in January and he has spent the last three months being poked and prodded on a weekly basis. If anyone deserved a fun day playing with rockets...it was this little dude! Having a party was the best way to celebrate the end of a round and the beginning of another year of life! Here's to hoping that year 3 for Jax is just as exciting and eventful as the previous ones. Although we could do without anymore life-changing surprises ;)