Ben is ten!

The baby we used to call Benihana is now ten years old.  And what a birthday week he had.

On Wednesday, I sent cupcakes to his class, and we had donuts at home, and opened his presents.

This is the face of a boy who got the Star Wars Lego set he wanted.

Papa and Nona with Ben and his present.

Then that night was cub scout pack meeting, where Ben was awarded his Bear.  I was chasing Millie and came back to see JB painting his face with the colors that each meant something (honor, courage, etc).

Then on Friday, the 4th graders went skiing. His teacher posted pictures of the kids on the bus, including Ben singing into a microphone during the drive. It really isn't too far up the canyons to the resorts. And we were able to rent his equipment for the day.

I was there when he got off the bus. He said he really liked it. Start saving, kid, skiing is expensive, even in the state with the "greatest snow on earth" as a slogan.

Then on Saturday was his friends birthday party. We only do these every couple of years, and we swear this is his last. It is also our last one in the church gym. I can't handle all that craziness anymore!

Ben kept inviting more kids. He is friendly, he has a large primary class and a gaggle of boys he runs with at school, and he said he didn't want anyone to be left out. Somehow we ended up with 17 kids there, though they were never staying still long enough for a good count.

Baby Benny turns one here (with red pajamas)

Benny-boy turns two here (with a requested football cake)

Sports-obsessed Benny turns three here (with a football cake again)

Turning four here (with a big extended family party and a plane cake that looked like a whale)

Five is here (with a basketball cake and his first bigger Lego set)

Huge sixth reptile birthday party when everyone he invited came  (sense a theme?) is here

The switch from Benny to Ben came when he was 7, here (with a Pokemon cake I am still proud of)

He turned 8 here and got lots of Star Wars stuff and still preferred the U (now it's the Y)

And I swear i just posted about his ninth birthday the other day. (Star Wars, socks, and a bball cake)