Carson’s birthday celebrations had an early kick-off this year. We’re talking really early. 3:30am early. Yes, at 3:30 in the morning (though, let’s face it, can’t we all agree that that’s a lot more NIGHT than it is MORNING), I heard little feet pacing back and forth along our hallway. I sent Matt to check on the source of the scampering feet (and to rule out an intruder. because it would totally make sense that an intruder would break and enter with the sole purpose of pacing hallways in the middle of the night.), and he was greeted by a way-too-amped-up-for-3:30am Carson. Fully dressed for school. Ready to party. We got him back to bed for a few short hours before he was up again, ready to do this:
Thursdays mornings are typically super busy for us. Thursday mornings with a birthday boy are even busier. But we somehow squeezed donuts and presents and Facetiming with the grandparents in prior to our early departure for jobs/preschool/kindergarten.
Historically, Mary Grace hasn’t handled the birthdays of others well. She doesn’t typically hand over the spotlight without a fight and has thrown fits on Carson’s birthdays… vomited on the day of Jesus’ birth… you get the drift. However, this year? This year, she was pumped. Knowing that Carson wants to save his money to buy the Lego Death Star, she gave him a Ninja Turtles bank which she filled with her own money. She was nearly shaking with excitement as she handed the gift over. Seriously, it was pretty stinkin precious.
After school, I allowed Carson to skip his homework and spend an hour doing whatever he wanted to do. He chose to leave the girls at daycare a little later and build one of his new Lego sets in silence. “I don’t get to hear the quiet very often, mommy,” he said. Ditto, kid.
We wrapped up the day with Chickfila and a leftover cupcake from school….
…only to look forward to the Great 6th Birthday Party Extravaganza two days later. This year, I went with the “invite the whole kindergarten class” approach, and while it was loud and crazy and somewhat chaotic, it was so much fun. The kids had a ball, and the bounce house place handled everything. It was awesome.
I have yet to perfect the art of taking a decent bounce house picture. Especially when it involves hoards of 6 year old boys hyped up on icing.
As you can see, it’s officially the year of the Ninja Turtles around our house. It makes me wonder what other 80’s crazes will make a comeback in my children’s era. Rainbow Brite? Pound puppies? Slap bracelets? Interestingly, we also happened to give him the DVD collection of Schoolhouse Rock. Either because Carson’s awesome and can appreciate quality educational programming when he sees it. Or because I’m on some sort of all-things-retro kick and enjoy reliving my childhood through my own offspring. Perhaps both.
All in all, it was a festive, busy, exhausting-but-worth-it few days of celebrating our big six year old.