Shane is Five

Shane celebrated his 5th birthday recently. He settled on a train theme party. The weather cooperated nicely and the party guests had a blast playing outside, eating, playing a few "train" party games, and watching the big guy open up his presents. He had asked me the day before why at birthday parties do you always have to open presents at the end. He wanted to open his presents at the beginning. I actually considered it, since it was his birthday and all, but decided for etiquette purposes we'd save it for later into the party.

He finally got to open up his presents. I had the kids be the audience and they did great sitting back and watching Shane. 

 Some of the kids playing "Conductor Says". I taken take into consideration that Shane really had no idea how to play Simon says, so it wasn't all that smooth of a game. I loved that some of the kiddos stuck it out. 

 

 Here were are playing a riveting game of "Car, Car, Engine". Shane requested that we play this. I also had the game pin the "smoke stack on the train", but forgot to have the kids play it.

 

The food was some what train themed. We had pasta salad with wheel shaped noodles, popcorn and lots of round/wheel shaped pretzels. I even had the kiddos make their own train shaped cheese and cracker snack.

Train shaped watermelon.

 Shane requested lemon cupcakes with vanilla frosting. They really turned out super yummy.

The highlight for the party personally for me was the happy birthday song. Shane has NEVER liked that song being sung to him (it is VERY much related to his Sensory Processing Disorder). Every year he ends up in tears or close to it. This year I asked him if he wanted us to not sing the happy birthday song to him or if he wanted us to whisper it to him. His face lit up and he said he wanted it whispered. This was the first time ever he sat there with a huge smile on his face, loving every minute of the happy birthday song. I wish so much that we had it on video, but in the midst of the moment it just didn't happen.

And of course we had all the train toys in the house and they were played with quite a bit.

Oh, you might wonder why he isn't wearing a train conductor outfit of some sort? Well...Mema and Papa got him this really cool superhero costume that he opened the morning of his birthday and the day of the party. It quickly became the best thing ever to wear even if it was a train themed party. Though he did have overalls under his cape. He wouldn't be Shane if he wasn't wearing overalls.