Dang it.
Miraculously, we got ourselves and four kids fed and dressed and ready in time to pull into the church at exactly 9:00am. Lance and I are pretty awesome.
But Spencer's birthday doesn't really start here. It started yesterday, when my little chefs and I made his birthday cake. It should be noted that pants are always optional in the Madsen kitchen.
Spencer wanted a chocolate cake, and I decided to take it up a notch.
Yes indeedy, that cake is covered from top to bottom with Whoppers. Spencer likes Whoppers and they look really cool.
It was all I could do to get a few pictures of the cake. Cole REALLY wanted to taste it!
There were a few small spots on the cake not covered, only because I ran out and wasn't willing to go to the store for a handful more. Because I'm a lazy mom like that.
When Cole wants to do something he knows is naughty he says "Get out of here, Mommy. Go out. Now." This is exactly what he said right before I took this picture.
Yeah, Cole. Sure. I'll leave the kitchen with you and this cake. Alone.
Anywho, back to this morning. After tithing settlement we headed down to Ivy Tech. They and the YMCA were having a Christmas activity that we thought the kids would like.
Despite the look on Tess's face, they did.
Of course they did - free bouncy house! They ran and jumped and yelled and played for a good 30 minutes. Here's my great big 9 year old birthday boy!
None of the other pictures are very good since they wouldn't hold still. But you get the idea.
After playing on the inflatable we went to see Santa. As expected, Tess REFUSED to even get close to the big guy. As in back arched, arms flailing, head pommeling anything in its path. Cole was a bit more reserved but also wouldn't sit on Santa's lap. Spencer and Josh did, but I got the feeling they thought they were too old for it. Right as Josh and Spencer started leaving Cole stood by Santa. You could tell he was really, truly conflicted about talking to him. He REALLY wanted to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas - a scooter. But he was pretty wary of getting too close. He snuck closer and closer and Santa leaned in to hear him talk. It was darlingly, preciously cute. They had a professional photographer there taking pictures - hopefully she got a good one. (She said the shots would be up on her site in a few days.)
We went home and spent a typical Saturday - laundry, lesson planning, cleaning, homework. That afternoon we let Spencer open a couple of gifts. Including this gun pack I got at a ridiculously low price during pre-Christmas clearance sales.
Nothing says love like automatic Nerf-like weapons.
Since this was an odd-year birthday, we celebrated with just a family party. We told Spencer we could go anywhere in town - anywhere - but of course he chose Chuck-E-Cheese. I had to keep reminding myself that although the Chuckster is not the most fun place for adults, it is a kid's paradise. So off we went.
I didn't get too many pictures because I was too busy chasing this little girl around. Tess is only 20 months old, but it didn't take her long at all to figure out that this place was FUN. She toddled around and pressed buttons and threw skee balls with spectacularly bad aim.
She really liked the game where you pump the bone handle up and down to feed the dog. The only reason her little hands aren't on it in this picture was because this was the fourth time in a row playing and I think her arms got tired.
I decided Tess might like to go on a little ride.
I was very, very wrong. Oops.
I don't know who won, but the birthday boy was having fun!
I have a picture like this with all of my kids. It's a tradition. (And Tess loved it. She also loved the one where you get a picture of yourself on a card. She ooohed and aahhhd and cuddled that card so much! Darlingness.
We got lots of tickets, which meant hours at the prize counter trying to decide what to get. Lance and I hate the prize counter. Spencer and Josh love it.
After Chuck-E-Cheese we went out to see the lights on Greenview Drive. In case you don't know what that is, it's a house that sets up tens of thousands of lights and sets them to music, which you can listen to on the radio. It's awesome and it has become a family tradition for us to go see them.
It was hard to get pictures or video of the kids, but at one point both Cole and Tess were dancing to the music.
I'll spare you a video of the light show. But here's a picture to give you a little idea of what it looks like.
After a long, grouchy drive home, we put Tess to bed and then had cake and ice cream.
And, of course, presents!
I got a super-awesome deal on a pretty pricey necktie. (A Christmas one - but subtle.) He's smiling here, but he wasn't really all that impressed. Not that I'm surprised.
Cole and Tess gave him Bop-It Slam. I'm pretty sure this is gonna annoy the heck out of us for next few weeks. Josh gave him the complete Pokemon handbook, which I am sure will be equally annoying.
Finally, a couple of Diary of a Wimpy kid books from Grandpa ElRay and Grandma Susie. Spencer was SO excited about these! He started reading them right then, and had to be told several times over the rest of the evening to put them away so he could: talk on the phone/eat his cake/get ready for bed/have family prayer/have family scripture study. Oy.
Spencer was by far the easiest baby and toddler ever. He is definitely making up for that now. But despite all of that, he is a great kid. He is so very friendly and he LOVES little kids and is great and helping to take care of them. He is smart (when he wants to be) and talented (at unexpected times - hello, school concert!) and a wonderful part of our family. We love him so much!
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