Monday, June 25, 2012

Super Heroes Facial Hair Iron Party

When Alex turned four, he had a super hero themed birthday party. When Alex turned eighteen, he did it again!

I was so pleased to be able to find the photo album with the picture of him, four years old and geared up in his heroic accessories. William did his computer magic and united Alex with the Avengers! Calling All Heroes!
It's fun preparing a young man's party when said young man has a huge capacity for play, fun, irony, and absurdity. His heart's desire: a full blown kiddie party... juice boxes, cold cheese pizza, streamers, his buddies, the works.

At the end of this red ribbon... a surprise.

Maria, jumping for joy, and Benjamin fully on board with any game involving yards and yards of fluttery, red ribbon.

Party games and special guests... I think Alex's wishes came true.

Suki and Darrahl, bros.

For fun, I provided some stick on facial hair. And they were fun. Lots of fun. What we did not know, at the time, was that mustaches were going to be the reigning theme of the day.
Iron test: What keeps Ironman alive and ticking?

Darrahl and Bobbie know Alex well. Their gift: publications about concept cars.

The last two weeks of school were full. Really full. So in addition to turning eighteen, studying for finals, preparing for graduation, going to Pasadena with physics, and keeping up with the rest of life, Alex was building trebuchets with his friends.

Stimson, teacher, mentor, robotics coach, family friend, creates an end of year project for his physics classes... either bridge building, or trebuchets. Working together, Sarah, Eli, and Alex built two. The first was Eli's design, a traditional wood-bamboo-free weights. In their "free" time Alex and Sarah decided to go through with a second design, schemed by Alex... something really different. No moving parts, foam board and duct tape, poly-carbon rods, and weights inside the bottom end.
Being an experimental model, it was great to have a chance to demonstrate it, and get some advice and suggestions from Stimson. Even when it wasn't lobbing lacrosse balls, it was beautiful just seeing it roll up from end to end... lovely balancing.

You sir, hold a lacrosse ball.

Cousin Nick came to join in the fun.

The actual demo day, at school, got pretty intense. I'm glad this demonstration happened first, so there was time to share and discuss the merits, and kinks. As it was, still in progress, this design could launch a lacrosse ball approximately fifty feet.

Defend yourself, Sam! Nerf battle begins now.

Suki takes cover, surrounding herself with a goat army.

Sam switches strategy, offense instead of defense.

Load and lock... that's how it's done.

Micah and Suki

A kiddie party is not complete with out a piñata, blindfold, and a bat. ¡Dale, dale, dale!

Darrahl

James, John, Alex, Patricia, Bambi, Cameron, Holly, Eli, Katie, Sarah K., Gabe

There is something a little twisted about beating a superhero with a stick, for candy.

Grant

James and John

Watching Alex, blindfolded, spun, and swinging at a swinging object. It's both twisted, and funny.

Sarah, the linguist and physicist of Team Trebuchet

Suki and Grant, or shall we say Compulsive Snugglers?

Max brought out his foam weapon arsenal. And suddenly, it's hammer time.

Now that James realizes that Batman is full of dark chocolate-spekuloos bars, he understands the motivation for beating that piñata wide open!

Cakes and a candle. It's time for music and wishes!

Happy Birthday, Alex!

Eli, and Alex, and lots and lots of cake options. Wishes do come true!

Present time!

So, about the facial hair. No one ever said: Let's all bring mustaches! There was no collaboration, no plan, no secret agenda. But it happened anyway. The first three gifts were mustache variations... then there were more. A painting of Alex as a mustached sir, a T-shirt, many, many fuax ones, a wind up one, and even a homemade mustache themed giant octahedron! It was epic.
This is not a mustache. This is Cameron's fez, bequeathed to Alex, which symbolically is much like donating your own awesome facial man hair. Sort of. Basically it is just a really manly and cool gift.

You're not technically late to a party... if you show up with a octahedron, covered in stories, illustrations, and magic. Tots and Claire know how to roll.

Do not be perplexed, birthday hero.

Hilarity.

Thank you, Super Friends!

Super party!
Super Facial Hair!
Ironman loved this party, and Alex did, too.

4 comments:

ArtyZen said...

Oh what a great party! Happy, happy birthday, Alex. Axxx

Kim said...

Looked like a smashing success of a party! What fun your family is.

Janece said...

Yay!! What a fabulously fun celebration!! Happy birthday, again!, Alex!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

You all really know how to have fun! I'm enchanted by all of this. Alex doesn't know me from Adam, but I can see he had a great birthday, and I wish him a fabulous year ahead. He is blessed with a great family and a wonderful, delightfully quirky bouquet of friends.