Home With Mommy: It's Official, He's 2!!!!!

Zach's birthday was yesterday. I didn't post last week since all I would talk about was his party (also yesterday) and it just seemed better to wait. Last Monday we went shopping for supplies. Interesting being in Party City with crutches. I asked if there was a desk chair with wheels I can use and was told "no" retail speak for "the manager is on it in the back and unlikely to give it up". I had decided to go with a Tiki theme. Zach was the only kid so this means we can use up the remaining things throughout summer, including for Father's Day, without looking strange. I like the fun colored silverware so I got aqua to match the plates. The only issue was spoons. Mom promised to not serve ice cream if I didn't get spoons. When she got ice cream "for the house" on Friday I got lime colored spoons and lime forks since we didn't get enough forks. Fight averted and next year they are going in the cart (including table cloths she always never wants me to buy but always seems to use her own anyway). I'll argue in the store if necessary pointing out she always needs them so we're getting them. The fun part was the lays. We got 9 lays. 6 in different solid colors (red, pink, orange, yellow, green, and blue) hung on the fireplace in that order and 3 multicolor framing the archway from the dining room to the living room.

We had cut outs outside thinking we'd be outside for the BBQ but it was cold and looked rainy so for dinner we came in. It was a small collection of family, 11 in all. The 11th person was Isabelle, Hugh's girlfriend. He never introduces his girlfriends to us, especially me, he's embarrassed by me because, you know, he's perfect and since I'm different from him I must be awful (okay that was sarcasm but probably not far off from his true feelings). He was so scared about what I would say he threatened to leave when I said I didn't like the balloons he surprised me with. I sent an email earlier in the week talking about how I hate surprises and want to be informed. He tends to do the exact opposite. Why was he surprised about my surprise about the balloons? I had been talking to Sonny about them taking a napkin to get balloons that match the theme. His balloons weren't bad but surprising. Eventually, things worked out. He relaxed after a while once he realized I wasn't saying anything embarrassing.

There were lots of delicious foods with all but the cake and ice cream being on the diet. Zach couldn't stop eating. We planned things early enough for the cake to be finished (for Zach) before 6. He's not allowed those things after 6 so when there are later parties we leave before dessert. It's called self-preservation. We had been trickling giving him his gifts so he wouldn't be in overload. It worked. He loves everything he got which included a cool L.L. Bean Preschool sized backpack, a toddler couch (Seasame Street from Toys R Us), a second set of that bucket he got for Easter, a Velcro baseball and mitt, Elmo "pee pee" sneakers (in case he needs new shoes with accidents out and about), a Thomas the Tank book and a Seashore Baby book. We're going to the Jersey Shore this summer so I thought he'd like that one. That was from us, my parent's got him the mattress he's been using and a picnic table that hasn't arrived yet. Josh's parents got him cash and Thomas bath toys (he needed those). Jake, Josh's twin with Cerebral Palsy, got him cash and so did Lisa. My uncle and his girlfriend got him cash too. Those will be used to get a push along toy to replace the stroller (like a bike with a handle for us to use) and a desk for here. The rest of the cash will go into savings for more cloths as he grows. Aunt Sonny got him a Basketball Net. What was Uncle Hugh's surprise gift? Blocks in different shapes, a small set like the big one he has here. He loves everything. We decided to continue a tradition of giving him at least one book for every gift occasion since he loves to read.

by Elise Broach

Thomas the Tank Engine's Hidden Surprises by Rev. W. Awdry: Book Cover

Thomas the Tank Engine's Hidden Surprises
by Rev. W. Awdry , Josie Yee (Illustrator)

both books from http://www.bn.com we got them in the store.