And then there were 5...

My son Jackson turned 9 this week. 9!!! 

We are halfway to 18 folks!

(I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)

Jackson with his cousin on his birthday

We did a small family party on his actual birthday and he invited four of his friends to spend the night last night. FOUR!! Yes, we are insane parents. We sent Brooklyn to spend the night with her Mimi, and did our best to keep them all from making us absolutely crazy. 

Since the night went so well, I thought I would share with you a little bit about how we handled survived it. 

(With some help from our favorite Hy-Vee grocery store.)

Having five boys, all 9 years old, all in one house requires a lot of activities that use up their energy. 

We started with a silly string war turned water balloon fight. I may have spent a ridiculous amount of time filling water balloons yesterday, but it was worth every second.

Since the boys play baseball together, this was also a great activity to help with their hand-eye coordination.

I think J was just a tad excited to throw one at daddy! 

Next, we let them chow down on pizza, and headed to the pool.

Between the cannonball competition, 500 game, dive stick races and general horeseplay, they had a blast! Also, I really need to invest in new dive sticks for the pool. Five just wasn't enough. Word to the wise, have plenty of dive sticks/rings for them to play games!

We came home for cake & ice cream and poor Jackson just couldn't get the sparkler candles to go out!

The boys had a blast playing with the new toys that Jackson got. I am forever thankful for thoughtful friends who provide my kids with gifts that help them learn as well as play. I have never seen them so excited about a marble run! After an attempt at watching a movie, we sent the boys to bed. It took a while but they finally settled down by midnight.

Of course they were up at 6:15... Which is why I am so thankful for my local Hy-Vee. I was able to get everything I needed for an easy, delicious breakfast for the boys, without breaking the bank.

This Bisquick pancake & waffle mix is a snap to mix up. The boys had a blast decorating their waffles with the berries and whipped cream. Of course, nothing goes better with waffles than Shatto chocolate milk! 

I love that we have easy access to local milk that is bottled in glass.

I didn't take pics of the waffle making process because it is really simple.

 (and lets be honest, my kitchen is kind of a disaster). 

Whisk together the dry mix, water, and oil, then pour into the preheated waffle iron. 

Quick tip for a big batch of waffles: turn the oven on low (the lowest mine goes is 170 degrees), and place the waffles on a cookie sheet to stay warm. Usually I will turn off the oven after its gotten hot, that way the waffles don't dry out too much. Serving them as individual triangles allows everyone to grab the amount they want as well as making it much easier to plate. 

We were ready to eat in about 30 minutes with very little clean-up! 

I am very proud of the young man my son is becoming. It's been a pleasure to get to watch him grow up with such awesome friends. I am also very thankful that we can provide memories like these for him. I hope you found some fun ideas to share with your family! 

Thanks for following along with our crazy life. 

*All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for any items or opinions. All photos are owned by me and are not to be used without permission.*