Joshua and Clara's VeggieStuffins Birthday Party

This year we decided to have a combination birthday party for Joshua and Clara.  We had originally planned to do a VeggieTales theme for it, as both kids have really loved VeggieTales over the past year.  But a couple months ago Meghan tried a new show with the kids: Doc McStuffins.  Doc is a girl who is a doctor for toys, fixing their various issues (a Jack in the box with a bad spring, a racecar that needs to be recharged, etc.).  Clara absolutely loves Doc, and it's now always her first choice of a show.  So we decided to split the party into two themes, complete with two banners, two cakes, two types of food labels, etc.  This may not have been the smartest plan, because it almost doubled our work, but we did it anyway.  Here our two birthday kids model their shirts that Meghan designed and made for them.

I made two cakes, but I only had one night to do them because of my work travel.  This meant both cakes weren't up to my usual standards, but I didn't have much choice (well, Meghan insisted I had the choice not to make two different cakes, but that option didn't register as valid with me).  I replicated the kitchen counter that's the setting for the start and finish of every episode of VeggieTales.  But because I was rushed and had to take numerous shortcuts, the outlet was not very good, and the counter ended up looking like an old couch.  The characters (Bob, Larry, and the French Peas) turned out pretty well though.  For Clara's cake, if I had all the time in the world I could have tried to create all the characters out of fondant.  That would have taken forever and would have been really difficult, but I think I could have pulled it off if I had enough time.  I also would have done more with it, such as to recreate Doc's stethoscope.  As it was, I used plastic figurines. and instead focused my efforts on the Band-Aid and the stripes and polka dots.  Overall, her cake turned out well, even if it was simpler than my original design called for.  Meghan made a pretty and tasty pumpkin butterscotch cake so people other than Joshua and Clara would be able to enjoy some cake.

As usual, Meghan did a ridiculously good job with the food.  There were lots of options, and she managed to tie them all in to one theme or the other, cleverly coming up with the titles, most of which were references to specific things in specific episodes (I am that Hero Sandwiches; Grapes of Wrath and Other Fruits; Lauras, Bobs, and Giant Pickle; Hallie's Jello Injections; etc.)  We also had a banner for each kid.

Having an open floorplan is nice, as it allows everyone to be in the same general area and to have space to sit or to mill about chatting with other people.

One of the food items, "Hallie's Jello Injections" involved Jello in giant plastic syringes.  It was kind of a crazy way to consume food, but that didn't stop either G.G. or Papa from trying it out.

Amid all the chaos of people everywhere, the two littlest cousins found each other and hung out together for awhile.

Finally it was cake time.  Joshua had been waiting all day, well all week really, for this.

G.G. and Hannah spent some time together eating cake.

Hannah, Joshua, and Clara shot some hoops with Halie.

Next we opened gifts.  Joshua and Clara alternated, and they seemed very happy with the various things they received.

Joshua later was given free reign on his cake, and he pretty much decimated it, much to his delight. It's been a great day. We were very grateful to have our family in attendance to celebrate Joshua's and Clara's birthdays.