I love birthday celebrations around here. Which is saying a lot since I am not a birthday-celebrating-kinda-person. Atticus has been planning his birthday menu and trying to guess the surprise outing since FEBRUARY. Yes. February. I set the limit that we would plan the menu as soon as we were in June. And we did. And by then he was spilling over with all sort of wonderful ideas and completely clueless about what we were going to do for the outing. I love planning surprises for the kids :).
We celebrated Atticus' birthday on the Saturday before his birthday which was a pretty exciting thing for him. The morning kicked off with the first present - a new birthday outing. I really wanted to make something for Atticus yet with us being in the middle of a move, I knew it was going to be tough to maneuver. When June came around and there was no sign of getting my sewing machine unpacked I knew I had to come up with a different plan. Sensible people would just buy something. But Atticus is soooo appreciative of hand made things and loves them so much that I knew I had to do something more than just buy something. So I bought him a new outfit and the night before his birthday I put my hand embroidery skills to the test and got going. I don't think I have ever completed a project so quickly. Motivated strictly by a desire to bring Atticus happiness.
In the night, we left a birthday card for Atticus on the end of his bed with a big note saying "OPEN ME". He didn't open it - concerned that it wasn't to be opened quite yet despite the overt message. So patient! As soon as he opened up his outfit and noticed what it was he bolted upstairs excitedly to put it on.
He was hoping for a birthday crown (like I had done for Milayla's birthday) but we don't have a printer set up yet so I found an idea that worked even better. A birthday button! An instant hit. Between the new birthday outfit and the birthday button, Atticus was one VERY happy birthday boy. He was doling out birthday hugs like crazy.
The birthday boy picked french toast casserole, scrambled eggs, homemade chocolate milk (which was not such a hit around here) and fresh cherries for breakfast. The french toast casserole was a hit and I would not be surprised to see that make a repeat appearance. It tasted like cinnamon rolls in a pan. And cherries are the official favorite fruit around here now.
I can't even remember how many languages our birthday banners have been in now. It's awesome. And we decorated the wall with all sorts of things that we love about the birthday boy. He is one very loved little boy!
Atticus was super excited when we headed outside for the surprise outing and he discovered that the lilies we had been waiting to open in our garden had opened on his birthday celebration. That was a present on it's own. He LOVES the garden.
Despite all the guessing that both Milayla and Atticus did to figure out the outing, they did not guess it. We went to a really fantastic outdoor mini golfing place off island that has waterfalls and gorgeous landscaping. It was the perfect fit for the day. We could not have asked for any better weather. And it has to be said, the kids are pretty awesome at mini-golfing. They were really great at asking about how to hold the golf club and BOTH Atticus and Milayla got a HOLE-IN-ONE! Seriously. So impressed. I think Phineas was a little down that he was not big enough to golf but I have no doubt that once he is teetering around on his feet he will be playing with his big siblings.
When the 18 holes of golf were all done, the big kids wanted to keep golfing. Instead we played at the playground they had set up, swayed on the fantastic wood bench swings and shared some milk shakes.
We ate a packed lunch on the way home and then had a bit of reading time and down time before doing presents. Birthday cards from Grandma + Grandpa Hochstein came in the mail the day before for both Atticus and Milayla. Milayla opened hers as her birthday had already passed - Atticus opted to wait a day and open the card with his birthday presents. We made sure to have Grandma and Grandpa on facetime during presents.
I love the hugs and smiles during present opening. Atticus got some bubbles, a puzzle and a handmade card from Milayla. A new toy car from Phineas. And his first watch, a cookbook, and a reading book from Jason and I. All were very appreciated. The watch hardly leaves his wrist. And I'm pretty sure that he will have that cookbook memorized eventually.
After presents it was dinner time. Atticus selected pizza, salad, mashed potatoes, juice and more cherries for dinner. Atticus declared the pizza was better than dominos and that is a pretty big compliment coming from him.
Dessert was a repeat of Atticus' choice last year - chocolate chip cookie cake with peanut butter swirl. He added the idea of chocolate ice cream this year. Always a favorite.
And with dessert thoroughly enjoyed, especially by the birthday boy, it was time for the last few birthday photos. You can tell how hot it was that day by how much Jason and I are sweating.
And, as per birthday tradition, we all snuggled up together and looked at pictures of the birthday boy as a little baby. The kids always love this part of getting to see their baby self and how much they have grown. It's a great opportunity to talk about all the ways we love them and love them being in our family.
And, boy, do we love having Atticus in our family. I love how he looks for ways to help; like sweeping the floor around the table after lunch without being asked while I went to change Phineas' diaper, or organizing the shoes at the front door when he walked past them and noticed they were left a little chaotic; I love how much he enjoys cooking, what a great big brother he is, how much he loves having siblings, his dedication to reading his scriptures and so many other things. He gives great hugs, is very affectionate, hard working and thoughtful. And he has a great memory! I really could go on and on - Atticus is a very loved son, brother, friend and son of God.
So proud of the boy that he is, the ways that he seeks to follow Christ and the ways that he grows more every single day. We love you, Atticus. Thank you for being such an important part of our family.
HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY!!!
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