Will is 5!

Will's birthday fell on a Saturday this year, which was great for so many reasons. First of all, it meant he got to experience that awesome feeling when your party is on your ACTUAL birthday! It also meant that instead of a weekday of celebrating with family and then a weekend party with friends and having everything spread out and sometimes seeming like this birthday will never ever end, we got to do one big, splashy, jam-packed day of fun.

First, the annual balloon-and-singing wake-up call:



Posing in his new Bruins jersey:

The party gets started:

With cousins Bella and Joe

Preschool friend

Another preschool friend

James before telling me "No pictures!"

Connor and Will!

Connor, Will and Abby flashing their fives

Joined by Jake and Kaben

Will's preschool friend and her twin sisters, who are in Finn's class this year

Daredevil Bridget imitating her brothers' moves

Will with Ella

Boys in blue

We ordered Bruins cookies so the entire morning could be no-forks-required--this was a serious clean-up coup!

Plotting his wish between Maisie and Sammy

Jack, Connor, Will and Finn: the fantastic four

Kaben taking care of Bridgie

Will with his surrogate big brother

The four Pflegers!

Natalie and "Baby Bridgie" in a quasi-hug

With oldest bud Ryan (they met at four and six weeks old, respectively)

The three stooges amigos!

We had a quick celebration with Nan and Mamp in the afternoon

The day ended with some family self-pictures, a lot of hugging, and even more "I can't believe you're five!" commentary from me and Dave. Although when you have a preschooler who's already saving his dimes for his first car--specifically "a Chevy when I'm seventeen after I'm a student driver and get my learner's permit" (he even has a dealership picked out for that blissful day twelve years in the future)--then "five" doesn't seem so terribly old after all.