Happy Birthday, Jos and Jon

Josie and Jon turned 8 on Thursday!!!

The day began with a delicious and time consuming breakfast--Danish pancakes. You may know these as Swedish pancakes, or perhaps even crepes. But let me tell you, no self-respecting Dane (like myself) would be caught dead serving up Swedish or French slop. I mean, come on. Anyway, the Danish ones taste best. (Although I'm not quite sure how to reconcile the fact that the recipe I used calls them "crepes".)

Later on: the birthday kids eagerly anticipating the presents that I revealed one at a time from a bag--I totally forgot to buy gift wrap!

Jon is playing it cool but believe me, he is beyond excited about his new hat and shirt (shirt not pictured.) I'm not even kidding. Jon spends hours putting together outfits (mostly culled from Sid's shirts, shorts, hats and belts) and as you may remember, this is the boy who in Kindergarten wouldn't go to bed in stupid looking mismatched pajamas because, "Mom, cool is my style!"

So here's Tommy (in his underwear, again--you might say "Homer Simpson" is his style) as he looks on with resentment at the children so fortunate as to be having a birthday.

After opening gifts and reassuring Tommy about 47 times that his birthday will be coming REALLY SOON--right after Halloween--we headed off to the ice cream shop to enjoy the twins gift from Miss Apryl. Since the kids would be having cupcakes on Saturday and then their real birthday cakes on Sunday with my family, it was a wonderful treat for me to not have to make additional cake. And this is all about me, you know.

SATURDAY'S POOL PARTY

If you have children fortunate enough to be born during the summer months, let me recommend to you the "pool party". It was the easiest, most inexpensive party I have ever hosted. And the best part? There was no pre- or post- party cleanup required! We staked our claim on some tables early on and those two hours just flew by.

Tommy, eating his hot dog and gazing out on the pool during the greatest farce to be perpetrated on the American people--the "Adult Swim" portion of every hour. (Please, do not get me started on the travesty that is Adult Swim.) However--for our purposes today--Adult Swim was fine by me. During our first 10 minute break we had a hearty meal of hot dogs and chips. (See that crock pot o' dogs? A brilliant way to keep the dogs I boiled at home hot until meal time. Plus the hot dog water also makes a wonderful light soup.)

Josie and her guests: Katarina, Angelina and Taylor.

Jon with his guests: Gideon and Eli. Zach, we missed you!

This is the party. They frolicked and splashed and squealed. I watched, sitting in a shady spot a little distance away. Sometimes I ate chips while I sat.

Jon and Eli.

This is not what you think. Tommy is holding a lady bug. He rescued many lady bugs from the pool today.

I managed to get a picture of Jos with her birthday cupcake. Jon's picture didn't work out, but it looked really similar to this.

This is a melty box of Jr. Mints that Jon is sorrowing over. Perhaps Nerds would have been a better choice.

The kids also had those little cups of ice cream that you have to peel the thick paper off of. The cups were delicious, and they also helped to provide the crucial separation between ice cream and baked goods that my children depend on. Tommy enjoyed my preoccupation with the other children and took the opportunity to lick the frosting off three cupcakes (or muffins), unnoticed, with an undimmed alacrity that was rather impressive, considering his belly was already quite full from lunch. And then, after the opening of all the gifts, the party was over. I sent the little guests off with wet suits and wet towels, clutching sacks full of candy (in case, you know, the cupcakes and ice cream didn't take)--because I know how moms really appreciate things like that.

And then I loaded up the Suburban with all our wet towels and melty candy and sacks of presents and hot dog broth. And the car wouldn't start. So my adorable husband came and got us (even though he had just left us 10 minutes earlier, having been a crucial helper to me in this whole "pool party" scheme of mine.) (I think he likes me or something.) Thanks, Puggy. You're nice.