Jack's 6th Birthday Weekend

Six year olds pay attention to how much celebrating they get to do. Jack milked this birthday for all it was worth, and we had a great time spoiling him.

It started on his actual birthday, Thursday. I had CJ, his idol and next door neighbor, come with me to take him to school. Ryker, CJ and I traipsed into the school, got visitor nametags, waited with him, and then marched him down to his classroom with his treats for the class. He felt REALLY special.

That night we let him choose where to eat. He picked IHOP. Someday he'll deny that IHOP was his favorite restaurant, but this blog is here to prove it. And to embarrass him. But back to IHOP. Right when the waitress came, Ryker yells "it's Sassin's birfday!!!" We translated for her. Jack asked her several times when, exactly, they were going to sing to him.

Then Friday Grandmommy arrived (always makes the boys SOOO happy) and he got to go shopping with Uncle Ry Ry and Grandpa Mark (a favorite birthday tradition). Ryker got to go too, and then they got to have ice cream. I had to work late, but when I finally caught up with them back at the house, Ryker was running laps around the great room with a new kid-sized shopping cart and Jack was playing with a huge new crane and making bird calls with a water-whistle. I slept in a hotel. I heard the rest of the weekend was lovely.

Just kidding.

Saturday was party-day. Jack's favorite people kept arriving - Gaga, Papa, Ry Ry, Grandpa, Grandma Bernice ("Gram-eece" according to Ryker), Uncle Bob, Uncle Dave, Jill, Nicki, Cullen, the Hayes' kids, Payten, Chuckie & Samantha, old daycare buddies, Miss Mari & Miss Kristy & Miss Pryanthi (all from Ryker's school - Jack's old school), BBall Aunties Kari & Abby & Lisa - as well as lots of other people who Jack tracked on briefly but are friends and family of Chuck and mine (no offense to any of you who are reading this! He's six!). The party was mostly kids running around screaming and playing and the adults eating and talking and enjoying the beautiful fall day. Oh, and sugar. Lots and lots of sugar.

After the party we opened presents and played with all the new toys. They all make noise too. SCORE! There are some pretty sweet toys though, even a kid-version of beer pong. Hilarious. He's going to go to some kegger sometime and say "I'm AWESOME at this - I've been playing since I was SIX!" And then he'll never get drunk, right?

Later Saturday night we had one of MY favorites - Brasa. YUMMY! And more sugar, of course.

Sunday we had two waves of breakfast - first with Charlie and BJ, until they had to run to the airport to start their ten hour trek back to StL, and then with Ryan and my dad, until THEY had to run off to the airport too. Then we had quiet time. I'm not actually sure it was quiet for everyone else, but it was SILENT for me because I had my pillow wrapped around my head and was sound asleep.

After MY nap, we went to another of our favorites, The Tavern on France. It's fairly yummy and fairly inexpensive and you can have gigantic beers and yummy fries. AND, for dessert you can make smores at your table. It was AWESOME. Ryker thought we had lost our minds and stared at the flame in total awe until Jack stood with him, and until he caught site of the marshmallows. Then he was fine. He asked to eat the melted flame-goo once the fire went out. I think he'll eat anything.

So that was the weekend. Thanks to EVERYONE who came out for it. I kept telling Jack how great it was that all those friends came, and how special it was to have 5 people all come into town especially for this. He's very loved. Me too!