We had a bit of an emotionally draining week here at the Reintjes house but you can't let a little thing like that put a damper on birthday festivities. I didn't manage to take many pictures of the actual day, it being a very busy regular Friday, but I did get a fair few of the previous day's spectacularly messy cake preparations.
And yes, all of the children are sitting on the counter, and yes, there were eggs in the batter. We live dangerously here. Very, very, dangerously.
At lunchtime Henry came up and whispered a request for me to drive everyone over to the local variety store after swim lessons in my sneakiest manner so that he could buy a birthday gift for John himself with his own money. He picked out two packs of Pokemon cards, which John was ecstatic about receiving since the house rules are that mommy and daddy will under no circumstances spend money on them. Judge if you must, but the kids all go through phases of wanting all the cards and then alternatively giving them all away to the neighbors in passionate fits of generosity. That or they go through the washing machine and all that's left of them is that little bit of shiny paper in the pockets to let you know what once was. So far John hasn't given any of the cards away, but he did immediately divide up all the coins he got from grandma and grandpa between his siblings. He's a sweetheart that son of mine.
When I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday he said without hesitation that he wanted to ride on a ferris wheel and eat fish sticks and french fries. Luckily there is a rather large ferris wheel nearby at the National Harbor so Chris came home early from work to take him after his very fancy birthday dinner. John was half asleep since it was so late at night (i.e. after seven) but I think he enjoyed himself, especially having all that special one on one time with daddy.
Five is such a heart tugging birthday, they're so grown up once they're five. Even if they do still stick their whole heads into the mixing bowl to lick it clean.
