Impromptu Birthday Celebration

Happy Birthday to Rory! He turned 6 on August 1st, way before I felt settled and organized enough to do much of anything about it. But we managed.

The night before, Geoffrey and Carson went to the BX with me to buy some presents. We wandered the 3 short aisles of toys, then turned around and wandered them again. We finally settled on a game, a large bouncy ball and a small soccer ball for the park, an Etch-A-Sketch for church, a book, and an ungraded Leapster (on sale for 50% off). I had picked up the birthday banner pictured above earlier in the week at the commissary. It clings to the wall without sticking on permanently and cost less than two bucks! It had lots more little confetti pieces which I placed on the wall leading down the stairs. The banner is on the wall facing the stairs.  I put up the banner after Rory went to sleep the night before and he was more than sufficiently thrilled upon coming down the stairs the next morning.

Carson had interviewed Rory as to his birthday wishes and presented me with a list. He wanted to have a picnic at the park with hot dogs and chips for his lunch. Then macaroni and cheese for dinner with carrot cake (really???) for dessert. When asked, he said he did want ice cream but I was not to buy chocolate ice cream, which according to him is all I buy. And he wanted to go swimming.

 So in the morning I biked to the Outdoor Rec to buy the pool passes then on to the commissary to get the lunch supplies. I couldn't manage to get both dinner and lunch as that would have maxed out my little basket and handle bar capacity. Then home again, dripping slightly. We prepared our picnic and walked to one of the nearby parks to eat it.

Then as soon as the plumber came to fix the kitchen sink (he didn't actually but that's another story. I'm getting a new garbage disposal tomorrow and hopefully have sopped up dirty water from under my sink for the last time.) we went to the pool. It has a water slide. And the little kids pool (Rory says its NOT a baby pool) is SUPER cold. Which is nice when you are hot and sweaty.  Sorry I didn't get a picture. I'm not good at remembering to grab my camera. And when I do remember, I can't find it.

We walked home again and since Geoffrey was home, I drove to the commissary and back. I had to make dinner quickly so Brannick and Carson could get to their first Scout meeting. Macaroni and Cheese with Steak Fingers and Frozen Peas. And Ketchup.  I am hanging my head in shame just thinking about it. But five six year olds aren't known for their sophisticated palettes. We waited the cake and ice cream until the boys got home again. Why not since we are all up until nearly midnight every night anyway?

Rory actually liked the carrot cake. And the presents were a hit. (Sigh of relief). As he went to bed that night he said, "I know I can't have a birthday every day but I just wish tomorrow could be my birthday too."  So I guess we did okay.

Most of my kids are beyond that age where you can totally fake it, throw it together at the last minute and get away with it. Its kind of nice to still have one young enough to impress.