Everyone Loves A Party ... (Especially Zach and Allie)

Over the past few weeks I learned that in a 4-year-old's eyes, being invited to a birthday party trumps just about everything else in life ... except perhaps Christmas and going to Disneyland.

Several weeks back as I picked up Zach and Allie from preschool and fished out the photocopied "Letter F" book with hand-colored fish, frogs and firefighters from their folders, there it was, hidden in the deep fold.

Unmistakable by the smallish, almost square-sized envelope with "Zach and Allie" carefully penned on the outside, inside was a piece of paper that would unleash excitement, and as I soon discovered, a valuable -- although short-lived-- tool in my Mommy arsenal.

Now that Christmas is over, I can't use Santa anymore. If you're a parent, you know what I'm talking about.

"If you want Santa to come, then you need to pick up your toys."

"Santa's watching you, you need to quiet down and go to sleep."

For a 4-year-old, these little threats always work wonders. With Christmas gone, it's back to square one.

But now, with a party invitation in hand -- and a costume party to boot -- I eagerly employed my new-found power.

"If you want to go to the birthday party, then you need to go make your bed."

"OK, Mommy," as they hurry to their rooms.

And so with the invitation also came two weeks of anticipation and questions.

"Mommy, is today the birthday party?"

"Mommy, can I wear the Spiderman costume?"

"Mommy, can we wrap the present yet?"

And when the day came, I've never seen two kids more excited -- costumes and bouncy houses and cookies and cake. Despite the coolish weather and the sniffly noses, they oozed with delight in their Spiderman and ballerina costumes and so excited as together they held the gift to give to their friend.

My two youngest doing what little ones do best -- laughter, excitement, smiles, and sweetness.

"Mommy, this is going to be SO fun," Allie squealed.

"Yes, sweetie, it's ALL so fun."

Nicky turns 8!

Yea, I know it's been like forever since I last posted. But somehow with the massive amounts of homework inflicted on poor Nick routine of school and soccer settling in, and birthday parties and visiting parents, and grocery shopping and cleaning and making meals and endless loads of laundry and cutting out butterflies and playing with pirate ships, the spare chunks of time seem to get eaten up like Tina Fey gobbling up Emmy awards (I guess I need to start watching 30 Rock).

So the big news in the Dawson household over the past couple weeks has been Nicky's 8th birthday. I guess I should correct myself -- "Nick." Nicky decided when we moved to Arizona that he wanted to be called Nick, rather than Nicky, which was what he went by in kindergarten and first grade in Elk Grove.

Not because it sounds more grown up, mind you, but, he readily confessed, because it's one less letter he has to write when doing schoolwork. Classic Nicky ... yes, he's still Nicky around here.

Anyway, my Mom and Dad came out to visit. We took the twins to the zoo, they got to see Blake's soccer game, they went to the twins' gymnastics class, they watched the kids while Brett and I went out on a long overdue date night, we all went out to dinner one night, and they were here for Nick's birthday festivities.

Nick's birthday, September 17, was a Wednesday, so he opened his family gifts and had cake that night.

His brothers eagerly helped him open his gifts (Legos and building toys, his thang):

A happy boy with his roller-coaster K'Nex (not sure why it looks like Zach is pulling his pants down ... I don't remember that happening ... but it very well could have)

Not sure what Blake's doing ... casting a spell on the cake? Who knows.

Eight candles?! Even Nicky can't believe it

Then on Sunday afternoon Nicky invited a few friends over for a backyard party, including THE game of games for Phoenix 3rd graders -- tetherball.

Then, since it's still hovering a tad above 100 (I'll complain more about that in a future post), the boys spent some time in the pool, including playing King of the Hill where they try to push each other in from the top step of the pool (lovely, eh?). Then Brett set up the volleyball net for a little team-on-team action, with Grandpa joining in.


Then the kids graciously sat still for a few seconds so I could snap a group shot ... and then the silly pose.


Hard to believe our little Nicky is already 8. I think whenever a child's birthday rolls around a mother replays the events of the day of the birth in her head. I vividly remember that warm Indian summer day when my 8 lb, 9 oz baby arrived. While ultrasound techs had placed odds on the baby being a girl during my pregnancy, they were proven wrong. I was stunned for several minutes when someone shouted out "It's a boy!" It's a what?? Luckily I didn't paint the room pink or cover the house in lace or anything. Anyway, it all worked out just as it was supposed to. My life wouldn't be complete without my playful, adores-to-build roller coasters, tetherball-fanatic, doesn't-complain-about-the-homework, picky-eating, hates-to-go-to-bed, sweets-loving, piercing-blue-eyed, freckled-faced son.

Happy Birthday, Nicky. You brighten my world.