Birthday Bash

Today we celebrated Benjamin's 3rd Birthday! (His birthday isn't actually until September 28 but since my mom and Harry are here we decided to hold the party early). The party was at the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum and worked out pretty well. My neighbor Katie and my mom and Harry were a huge help and I owe all the party's success to them! Without them I would have been running around like crazy.

Both Benjamin and Samuel behaved excellent. We had 6 kids ages 2-5 and then three infants (3 weeks - 7 months) and a bunch of parents. It worked out great. The kids had a grand time playing with all the hands on stuff in the children's area of the farm museum and a few parents mentioned that they'd like to return to the museum again. Then we sat and sang "Ol McDonald Had a Farm" before we headed over to the cabin for sandwiches, cake, ice cream and presents. When I asked Benjamin what his favorite part of the party was he said "the cake!" So, I guess the time and effort I put into making his cake paid off.

On the way to the party Ms. Katie rode with us (she helped set up, decorate and was a huge help throughout the party). I was asking Benjamin who was coming to his party and he was naming a bunch of his friends. Then he said "And Daddy." Just like that. He thought Daddy was going to be there. So, I reassured him that Daddy was thinking about him and wished he could be there too but that he wasn't going to be able to be there. These are the hard times when I have to things like that. I think I do pretty good when I talk to him but it's later when I'm thinking about it that it makes my heart really ache. As a parent, you want to give your child everything you have...and I don't mean material things...but you want him to know he is loved, cared about, basically, that he means the world to you. And I just try to reassure him that even though Daddy-O isn't able to be here for every special day in his life right now that he is always thinking about him and that he's always under the same big sky. So, hopefully, having our flatdaddy with us was some sort of reminder that Daddy was with us in spirit. I think a lot of people smiled just seeing our flatdaddy.

Thanks to all who came to the party. I know it is a day Benjamin will be talking about for a long time.

Well, it's been a busy day so I'm just going to include a slide show of the party pictures and leave it at that.