COL-E is 3!!!

As Cole’s third birthday drew closer, we began dreaming up ideas for his celebration. We like to create parties for our kiddos that highlight their interests and help commemorate that particular stage in their lives. Cole’s very favorite movie is WALL-E, and one of his nicknames is Coley, so the idea of a COL-E birthday party must have been written in the stars!

Since we were unable to have a big celebration this year due to the pandemic, all our energy went into creating details that were extra creative and fun for Cole. I’m not sure if I have ever had more fun preparing for a party. Isaac, Isla and I brainstormed and crafted together for days, and it was such a wonderful experience!

The morning of Cole’s birthday we woke up to hazy yellow skies from all the fires burning along the west coast— surprisingly similar to the deserted Earth in WALL-E. Yikes! Thankfully, the conditions indoors were much nicer!

A space scene, spray painted on a sheet of kraft paper, served as our backdrop and anchored all the decorative details together. We featured several recognizable items from the movie: the Axiom spaceship, a Rubik’s cube, a fire extinguisher, a crushed cube of garbage, and of course, the plant in a boot. We also created a galaxy cake, and made sure to include WALL-E, EVE, and Hal, the cockroach!

Isaac created the Axiom from a large piece of cardboard– one of the many perks of being married to a creative guy with an art degree! He also made the “COL-E IS 3” paper signage, which we cut out with our Silhouette and glued onto our backdrop. We used the same COL-E design to make Cole a custom shirt with iron on vinyl.

We took our wrapping skills up several notches with the Rubik’s cube, fire extinguisher, and crushed cube of garbage, so that those gifts could serve double duty as decor! The crushed cube of garbage was seriously my favorite wrapping job ever! I painted sheets of kraft paper with metallic paint and then scrunched and hot glued them straight into the cardboard box holding the gift. We also added some smashed cans and bottle caps to make it look more like garbage. I was careful to create a seam where the flaps met on the back side of the box, so that we could easily open it without any damage and then keep the box for future play.

I thought it would be fun for Cole to have his own little Hal the cockroach that could ride around on his shoulder. I created the cockroach out of paper mache and pipe cleaners. It was all a bit of an experiment, so I had to figure things out and make tweaks as I went along. I put a magnet in its belly, so that with a second magnet, Hal could attach to clothes. Cole loves Hal, but still isn’t so sure about having a magnet inside his shirt!

To create the plant in the boot, I snipped a small piece of salal and secured the end of the stem into a ball of clay, which I stuck to the bottom of a small glass and placed in the boot. The clay kept the plant upright and didn’t make a mess in the boot, which was a good thing, as Isaac still uses those boots!

We decorated the dining table with some of the WALL-E sketches Isla has made for Cole over the past few months. We dusted the black paper plates edible star sprinkles for a little galactic touch as well.

Cole received such thoughtful calls from family throughout the day and he got lots of practice holding up three fingers. “I’m free!”

Cole could not wait to come out and see his birthday set up in the morning. His reaction was absolutely priceless!

This double fist pump just about did me in! Pure JOY!!! For me, there is nothing better than knowing I was able to use my time and efforts to bring someone I love this level of happiness!

Cole spent a lot of time excitedly admiring each and every detail. My sweet boy!

Isla worked SO hard to create an amazing snuggly WALL-E for Cole. She spent hours and hours working on it. First, she scoured for the perfect picture to replicate, then she drew her own version to use as a template. She cut out the fabric and then stitched and stitched and stitched… and then, she stitched some more. I was blown away by her design, and even more so by her dedication to make something so meaningful for her little brother.

Look at how her eyes are just locked on Cole as he opened it, eager to see his reaction!

Birthdays call for sprinkle pancakes in our home! Yum!

Cole spent a little time hanging out with Hal before opening more of his presents.

After breakfast, we took a walk on the beach to the mouth of the river and then headed back home so Cole could take a nap. After he woke up, the fun continued with his final gift– his own electronic WALL-E!

After a little play time with WALL-E, we enjoyed a pizza dinner (Cole’s favorite) and then tucked into some birthday cake! Cole requested a chocolate birthday cake, so I whipped up my go to recipe, and then tried a cookie dough filling and vanilla frosting. I followed this tutorial to make a galaxy cake, and for a first attempt, decorated in a kitchen that was far too warm, I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Most importantly, it was delicious!

Three years ago, the world gained an amazing new soul. He has grown into a bright, imaginative, hilarious little boy who lives every day with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, a smirky smile on his face, and a happy melody in his heart. A passionate, endlessly energized little boy who is crazy about cars, runs like he’s on a mission, and entertains us by making up his own theme songs! A curious, observant little boy who feels deeply, has music in his bones, and makes us melt when he tucks his head into our shoulders before bed.

Col-E, you are an out-of-this-world kid! Thank you for always keeping us laughing and on our toes. We are so very grateful to call you ours! Happy third birthday, precious boy. We adore you!