the boy is 5!

the birthday celebration started on monday at his school. his classmates made him a crown, some rainbow rings, and and a lovely card. i went in and told his birth story (that's the tradition!) and about why we chose his name. it was a sweet little celebration to kick things off.

this marks his actual birthday! i'd been letting him sporadically open presents but we did manage to save a few to open on birthday morning.

ben 10 is his obsession lately, and he got a ben 10 car and some mini action figures from grandma!

he also got a different version of mouse trap that i'm still not sure how to play.

he took this of himself.

then we went out to breakfast at the cup & saucer. thanks grandma!

i even let him eat a pad of butter because it was his birthday. he looooves butter.

chocolate chip mickey mouse pancake smothered in syrup and a side o' bacon. yum!

it was even a gorgeous sunny day to boot.

making his way through the pancake with a smile.

i also let him drink creamer from the little pitcher, another favorite of his.

you can't see it, but he has an adorable little cream mustache.

graffiti in the bathroom:

some people are so poor all they have is money

when we got home a box had arrived! angry birds star wars death star game!

he's been begging me this for months.

cayce got him this bozo punching guy. thank goodness he has something else to punch!

ezra: 1, bozo: 0

ezra's birthday party was great fun! here he is with raj, a good friend from school.

lisa and erick!

heidi and ruby!

the other ruby! who was also celebrating her birthday. she and ezra are cosmic twins, perhaps even born at the same second back on march 7 2008.

this lovely clown was doing some face painting.

and we were doing some face smooshing.

ezra and mateo built a house togheter. it was hard to get them both in focus so above we clearly see mateo, and below we clearly see ezra.

benjamin, ezra and raj love love love to wrestle.

point raj!

veden gettin' all sweaty runnin' around.

jupiter chillin.

the clown directed some trampoline action.

cayce and jupey keepin' it real.

ezra waiting to bash the pinata!

i have to say he was the best pinata whacker of everybody.

gathering loot.

mateo on the trampoline.

ezra's polka dot cake!

the clown sang ezra a special birthday song.

back to the tramp, belly full o' cake.

this shot of maya, ruby and ezra was recreated because 3.5 years ago this was taken in the same gym:

maya is the best dangler.

nikkie, gabe and koali chillaxin'.

ezra surrounded by his loot.

happy birthday sweet ezra!