Two Week Rush

We only have to celebrate Roxwell’s birthday for about 15 minutes each year since he was born just before midnight (who keeps track of the exact time by the third) on the eve of October 22. It is fun to have a little dream just for him though.

Actually, we just turned everything fun that we did that week into a birthday celebration; like Layne’s fieldtrip to Superstition Farm, I bet you wish you spent your first birthday with the entire kindergarten! Or our dinner out to the swanky Scottsdale restaurant Arcadia Farms…too bad I forgot the camera on both of these occasions (and Layne’s fist day of school, and the science center and a dozen other important events).

So I redeemed myself slightly by taking home one of Arcadia Farm’s “baby cakes,” fitting, eh? Now all you mommies listen up because we discovered something that is going to change the universe. First we put the kids to bed, then we poked a candle in the cake, sang happy birthday, took pictures all in peace. We let the baby dive in with his hands while we civilized adults used forks and only occasionally picked piece off his face and shirt. Then it was off to bed for baby. Did you get that!? No kids, just baby. No tummy ache, just sleep. Peace. It was the best 3 day after birthday party EVER!

We leave the real spoiling up to my parents. Dad was here the week before Roxwell’s birthday and brought him this cute Hawkeye (the kids call it “hockey”) outfit with football that he has really taken a liking to. Here I think he was posing as a football player might.

Dad further dove in to the spoiling category when he bought all three boys Christmas bikes complete with new helmets lights, horns, bike locks and knee pads. Unfortunately Roxwell has tipped over a few times on his and now cries every time we put him on it so we are in the process of finding him an alternative Christmas gift. Dad’s visit was fun, be sure to ask him how he did in cribbage though.

Mom brought a lovely gift that Layne and Brik monopolized for the first couple days. She also bought us a generous amount of home décor which the kids and Jarom graciously accepted as their Christmas presents. I am so looking forward to Christmas; it is going to be so simple! Even Jarom’s family is taking about cutting back on their usually over-the-top gifting.

Since Jarom is a Halloween-pooper, Mom made the most of his costume and played Raggedy Andy to my Raggedy Ann. The boys costumes turned out really cute. Brik lived the face paint and was worried about it all night. Layne did really good dealing with the irritating eye patch – that he ended up just wearing on his head and uncomfortable earring – that found comfort inside his ear. Roxwell was not too fond of the big dragon hood that weighed down his head.