Aaron's birthday

It's Birthday Week over here: Aaron today, Jordan Thursday. Then also Jordan has his Birthday Circle at school on Friday, with cake, and on Sunday, his birthday party at Matthews Beach, also of course with cake. That's four separate occasions for cake in one week - and that's not counting Suzanna Moss, whose birthday is Friday and who would like a cake too. Fortunately I just think there is nothing better than providing delightful birthday cakes for friends and family, especially those under ten.

For Aaron, the fun began at pickup time today from school. Aaron's teachers prefer no cake for the two-year-olds; apparently they have no idea whose birthday it is, they are so all about the cake. Instead, they invite parents to bring special music or a favorite book or something else to share. Dale and I thought, "What would be most Aaron?" and immediately said the same thing: Balls. So I brought a giant bag full of balls. The kids had a blast. They threw, they rolled, they did not catch, they laughed their heads off. And Aaron did a very good job of sharing, except for the big red ball, which is his new ball from Grandpa Hailey. That was his alone.




Aaron enjoyed the ball fest, but after fifteen minutes or so he was backing into a corner and saying "I ready to go Mommy." That made me glad we had planned a relatively calm birthday evening: just Grandma and Bill over for dinner, with cake and ice cream and presents. Really, that was plenty of excitement.

For Aaron I made a strawberry cake, because he is crazy about any kind of berries. Jordan and Aaron helped decorate it.



Tell me this is not the quintessential birthday photo! I am slain!



He went right for the candles, just like he knew what he was doing... except he licked the wrong end.



Aaron got a lovely quantity of presents (but not too many). Bath toys were a theme and they were a huge, huge hit, even with no bath.



Mommy and Daddy got Aaron this inflatable riding horsie, which seems pretty great.



Jordan fulfilled his big-brother duties perfectly, helping Aaron open the presents and demonstrating how to play with them. He was really wonderful today. I think it would be easy to resent your little brother's birthday coming two days before your own, and Jordan was a peach. He picked out these linking boats for Aaron, and the swimming monkey on the floor.



He also decided on his own initiative that he needed to make Aaron a birthday card, and I tell you what, it is a masterpiece in my opinion. Designed and executed with no adult assistance at all. Jordan explains: "There is a J for Jordan and an A for Aaron, and it says 'Love Aaron' on the bottom. And we are hugging! I am hugging Aaron's head and he is hugging my legs because he is shorter. And we are naked!" See? Zoom in if you need to.