January is birthday month in the Smith house! Don't ask me why, because although we joke that Danny's birthday is nine months before it's not like they were all conceived on April 30th. However, three of our children were born in the month of January. So as soon as we take down the Christmas decorations we put up the birthday decorations :). And so on Friday it began. As soon as I had concluded school as much as I could (there are always unfinished things hanging over my head) we began preparing for the festivites. We have a combined birthday party with our families celebrating all three birthdays and then each of the kids has their own special time on the day of their birthday. In a way they have a month of non-stop partying.
Our first preparation was maknig a pinata. I don't know when the tradition of pinatas introduced or reintroduced itself into birthday celebrations. I didn't grow up with them. But my kids always want one. Have you ever tried to buy one of those things? They're outrageously priced!! So last year we didn't get one because I would not pay $15 for one. Then recently I noticed a friend of mine had made one of her own with paper mache, and I thought, "Hey! I could do that!" I researched online, found a simple recipe, and was glad to find I had all I needed, but I needed to start soon as it takes a few days. The kids are very excited and had a blast helping me. It was gooey, messy fun and the kids loved sticking not just the newspaper strips, but their whole arms into the paste! I am hopeful to see how it turns out! Josiah's only complaint was that it doesn't look big enough to hold much candy ;).
Then we broke our sweet's fast (once every few months we take a week and asbstain from all "unnatural" sugars. . .it's a great, but difficult discipline for us sugar lovers), hung up balloons and the HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign, danced to some worship music and ate hot dogs for dinner.
On Saturday we got out of bed as soon as we found the new two year old already out of bed and standing at the gate at the top of the stairs. We sang "happy birthday" to him and shared in a "tooty fruities" cereal breakfast. For their birthday each kid gets to pick out a cereal of their choice, which is, of course, always VERY sugary :). Lunch was Totino's pizza and cheesy puffs and swiss cake rolls (with a match as a makeshift candle since I realized I was all out). Can you tell that food is a central part of (my) celebration plans ;) ?
Noah's gift was a book, since his favorite thing is to sit on my lap and have me read him a book. We got him the classic board book, "We're going on a bear hunt." He also got a set of golden retriever dog family figurines. He was so excited he couldn't wait to get them out of their package and was trying to rip the puppies out. He has carried a puppy in each hand every waking moment since then!!
For dinner we used some gift certificates to eat at Mac's restaurant. I don't wish to offend anyone, but I will not be visiting that establishment, EVER, if I can help it. It smelled like a nursing home and nothing on the menu was appetizing. But it was a "fun" night out none-the-less.
So my "baby" is two. He sleeps in a big boy bed, drinks skim milk, and is growing up faster than I would like. And we still have lots more birthday celebrating to come!
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