Birthday Bliss: Day One

I might have mentioned a time or twenty that my baby was about to turn five. But I might not have mentioned that my husband was out of state for the past month. And that he didn't return until the day AFTER Caed's actual birthday.

But don't feel sorry for Caed. Oh no. He made out quite well thanks to the parental guilt regarding his father's absence. He enjoyed two full days of birthday indulgence with arguably too much sugar on top.

On his actual birthday, we brought cupcakes to school to share with his class. And since my inner bully beat up my inner Martha Stewart ages ago, the cupcakes were the store bought variety. The truth is, I haven't been able to bring myself to make a cupcake since the red frosting episode of 2007.

After consuming an ample amount of frosting, we drove straight to the beach to meet up with friends. The idea was we'd just walk out on the sandbar at low tide and wouldn't "go in the water or get too messy." My friend Kate and I figured if we said it a hundred times, it might actually come to fruition. But alas. Have you met our children?

Yes, hello. I'd like a double order of wishful thinking, and can I get that to go?

(Yes, that is sand clinging to his wet shorts!)

Okay, so it got a little messy. But not so messy that we couldn't pick up and go to the local seafood dive for some fried oceany goodness. About halfway through dinner, Kate and I exchanged a look of "I could so fall asleep right now", while our kids continued to repurpose their ketchup. We gave them points for creativity, docked points for dawdling, and eventually pulled out the ice cream card. Nothing says "finish your dinner" like a little mint chocolate chip, am I right?

And so concluded the first day of birthday bliss.

I must interrupt this regularly scheduled birthday recap program to remind myself (as Kate did that afternoon) that this is where I live.

You can bet I'll be looking at these pictures from late October well into next April to combat those long winter blues. Feel free to call me on it when you hear me complaining in January.

But back to the birthday boy. I didn't realize until now that I took this picture exactly five years (to the hour) from the time my baby boy was placed in my arms. And would you just look at him now? WOW.