Brooks Turns 4! · Lemons to Love

Brooks’ Birthday Traditions

Brooks’ birthday started off just like all the others: with balloons and a special breakfast, homemade pancakes! Growing up, my mom aways made us homemade pancakes with a candle to blow out, so as soon as Brooks was old enough to sit up and eat solids he had the same! Y’all might remember last year when I took him mural hopping in Nashville for his 3rd birthday. I decided this year I wanted to keep with that tradition and take him to another mural for his 4th birthday photos. We had to dodge the parking ferry a few times, but I was able to get some cute candid shots of him when a firetruck went by. #natch 🙂 These are the reasons I originally started blogging over 5 years ago and the reason I will continue: for the memories to look back on.

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Brooks’ Birthday Party

This past weekend we had some of Brooks’ sweet friends over to celebrate his 4th birthday. Y’all, it warmed my heart so much! This was the first year for an official birthday party for Brooks and it was so dang sweet to see these 3 and 4 year olds having a blast doing what they love, running loose and having fun together. I kept it simple with a few pre-school aged playing stations in the back yard and adult bevarages with Chick-Fil-A as the main course. I set up the sand box, a water station, a slip n slide, and a painting station. With the paint station I wanted them to have a keep sake to say thank you for coming and celebrating our Brooks! I didn’t, however, think of the time needed for them to dry before heading home with them. 🙂 Oh well, lesson learned! Overall it was a really sweet day and I’m so thankful for the genuine little friendships he’s formed from school. And for the parents who gave up their Saturday morning to bring their littles to our house!

I also wanted to share with y’all this cute craft table I put together! I loved it for its simplicity and entertainment factor. It’s a great idea just to have for your little ones, a playdate or a party you’re throwing! I lined a banquet table with butcher paper so the painters could make all the mess they wanted without any stress of a mess! I laid out paint onto paper plates with the brushes and let them have at it!

Painting Craft Table:

Butcher Paper: I use this all the time with Brooks! When we’re having craft time inside I always lay this over our kitchen table with tape to keep the table safe, and my sanity. Crayola Washable Paint: I ended up just getting the larger set of washable paint on Amazon. I used up the smaller ones so quickly it seemed more economical to just go bigger and with more paint options. Melissa & Doug Paint Brushes: These are great for little hands! I love their larger handles for easier grip and larger brushes allowing for more ground to cover. 😉 8×10 Canvas: These are the Thank Yous I thought would be cute as a gift for our little guests to take home!

Additional goodies I didn’t get:

Melissa & Doug Spill-Proof Paint Cups: These are so cute! I didn’t get them because I thought the paper plates served their purpose, but if I was going all-out with the craft table these would be it! 2 Pack Kid’s Art Smock: Now, these are cute and practical! These would be great to have on-hand for craft time at the house!