In our family, one day to celebrate a birthday is just not enough. So, this year, to celebrate Trip's 5th birthday, we had 3 days of celebrating! We started with the family, on Saturday. After Trip and Mady went to church to rehearse the kids' Christmas program in the morning, we came home and took naps. We all needed some down time to prepare for all the celebrating. After naps, my parents, Graham, Katie, Nicholas, Nolan and Trip's friend Turner came over to start the party time! The kids had so much fun playing. They all got along really well and even stayed in the kitchen at their little picnic table and ate their pizza while the adults (plus Nolan) ate in the dining room. We ordered pizza from Trip's favorite place in town and then followed it with a yummy cookie cake. For the last few weeks as we approached his birthday, Trip would change what kind of party he wanted to have, but it was always a football team. It started with the Packers, moved to the Jets, went to the Bulldogs and ended at the Cougars (my college team). So, TJ had a great idea to just line the cake with some toy football helmets with different team logos and narrow it down to football-theme party. Trip liked it, so I guess that was a success! After we ate, Trip ripped through his presents faster than I've ever seen before. And, while he loved all of them, he was totally mesmerized by his V-Tech Mobigo game system and all the kids surrounded each other and took turns playing games on it for the rest of the evening. Trip didn't want to put the thing down the rest of the weekend, so we've had to put some time limits on it to keep him from turning into a video game zombie at age 5! Sunday morning, my parents joined us at church, to see the kids' Christmas program. Trip dressed as a cow and Mady was an angel. They both looked precious in their costumes. Much to my surprise, Trip made it up in front to sing for the congregation, while Mady resisted and preferred sitting with Grandad. What a difference a year makes! Trip refused to go up last year, so I expected the same response from him. And, I totally expected my attention-hog (or pig...Mady) to be front and center. Shows you what I know! Kids always surprise us. Trip and Mady were both so exhausted from the day before, that after their performance we brought them home for early lunch and naps. Then, it was time for party number 2. This was boy time with TJ, Trip and a few guy friends. They played glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, which was perfect because it was freezing out. In fact, Trip even got a little snow on his birthday! After the golfing was over, Mady and I met the boys with cupcakes and watched Trip open more presents. Our family went out to dinner after the party and then came home to play with all the new presents. Today was the third and final party for this birthday! Trip got to bring cupcakes that he and Mady helped me make to his class at school. Mady and I joined them while they sang "Happy Birthday" to Trip and ate the cupcakes. It's so funny to think back to when sweet Trip used to cry any time anyone sang that song to him or anyone else. He totally loved it this time...all three times! I cannot believe my baby is 5! How did that happen!? Next year he'll be going to kindergarten! I am so blessed to have been given such a perfect and wonderful gift from God. Even on his bad days, Trip is my sunshine, brightening up my world and changing it for the better. Who knew Trip would be the one teaching me; I thought I was supposed to teach him. Every day, he reminds me to love completely and unconditionally, to see the good in people and the world around us, to try new things and to take time to enjoy the little things! From what everyone says, the next five years will go even faster than the first five, so I am clinging tightly to my sweet, little boy, trying to savor each and every moment, good and bad because every minute with him is a precious one!
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