Monday, March 24, 2008

Birthday wishes


.......................Big C turns 5 today!..................... It has been a wonderful week, filled perhaps a bit too full of birthday adventures. We started the week by hosting our playgroup at our house, complete with Lego themed birthday fun and cupcakes with very brightly colored frosting. There were Legos everywhere at the party... on the cake, on the banners and on the table for playing. Interestingly, no one played with them. They were more consumed with who had the brightest blue or green tongue.
Gotta love gel food coloring.
He also wanted to have a "kid birthday" party and this year only boys were invited.
The idea had never occured to him to be exclusive, but when his close girl friend
went exclusive at her party, he decided to follow suit.


Each of the boys was given a Lego t-shirt (made by me at midnight the night before, of course) and wore it to the Mall of America's Lego land. Imagine our surprise when the area with the little Legos (for older kids) was missing! It was actually getting repaired and the boys were quite disappointed. Instead they browsed the Lego store and went on a single ride in the amusement park area. I think they had more fun eating their string cheese snacks in front of this waterfall outside a nearby restaurant. Boys + rocks + water= FUN! The Lego cake for the four boys. Gumballs for the dots, although my boys have no idea what to do with gum. Swallow it? Ok. So, we don't eat much of it around here.

There was also the requisite family party... always the most fun of all with grandmas and grandpas and cousins who also love playing with Legos. Here was the centerpiece, in a piece of nice crystal from our wedding that normally collects dust in the buffet cupboard.


The third Lego cake. (Am I done baking for a while? Please?!?)
Boy time at the kid table!

Five years ago today I went to work as usual. I taught five Spanish classes, thinking it was just a regular day. My water broke at school during my prep period, thankfully not in front of students. Ever the planner, I just changed into my spare clothes and sat down on a towel at my desk, giddy with emotion that this baby was finally arriving, but also freaked that my students wouldn't be able to serve their detentions with the sub. I stayed at school for another hour and a half (am I crazy??!?) to finish the sub plans and wait 'til someone could pick me up. When I got home I sat at the sewing machine finishing the curtains for Carl's room until my contractions started a few hours later. Um, wasn't I paying attention in class? You're supposed to GO to the hospital when your water breaks, not sit around nesting at home for a few hours.


We arrived at the hospital in time for a nice, leisurely check in and Carl was born shortly afterwards, at 10:04 p.m. My life has never been the same. I love you, Carl!

6 comments:

Stephanie said...

ever the planner, yes, but will you ever learn to plan realistically/modestly so you don't have to sew and bake at midnight? Somehow I doubt it, wife. What a fun--and exhausting--week.

Glad your kids don't know what to do with gum.

Anonymous said...

That was great. I love your blog and the lego cake! I found you thru the Ultimate Party and wanted to invite you over to my site for a fun contest this week. You could be my lucky winner or my unfortunate loser . . . either way, I hope you laugh a little.
http://www.wearethatfamily.com

noradawn said...

Happy Birthday Carl!

I don't think you're supposed to go to the hospital when your water breaks necessarily. You did exactly the right thing. (But what would I know? I never wanted to go to the hospital at all!)

katiemomof3 said...

Awe, congratulations, Jenn! Having your baby turn five years old is quite the milestone. I remember when Ingrid turned five. I finally understood why my mom was moved when I turned 30, when, to me, it was just another birthday.

The lego shirts are too much! For Carl, most excellent, but for all the boys??! Crazy woman! :-)

Funny, we were talking birth stories last night at Girl Scouts, birth stories about our ten-year-olds!

Happy Birthday, Carl!

Miss Notesy said...

That cake is awesome!!! I'm so impressed.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I've been searching the web for lego cake ideas for my son who's going to be 5 in September. You party looked like a lot of fun, thanks for sharing. My only fear of turning the whole event into a "lego party" is that my son is very territorial about his legos and doesn't like to share them very much, so I don't want to turn the party into an anxiety-inducing situation for him. But the cake, oh yes, he'll love that.