Happy XXXIV!

It seems like there's always a little something coming between us...

It was Pat's birthday on Tuesday. I had to write his age in code, since he can be a little sensitive about it. So, if you never completed 4th grade, you should be totally in the dark on how old he is now. We decided to really make his XXXIV-th birthday a low-key extravaganza. Maddie and I got up extra early and made him chocolate chip muffins, fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice and served it to him in bed. I had told Maddie about the plan the day before, and I was so proud of her for keeping it a surprise for 16 whole hours. When the time finally arrived, I said to her, "This is it; it's Daddo's birthday surprise." Her matter of fact reply was, "But, there's no balloons."

When Daddo got home from work, he opened his presents (a boogie board, fins, a framed picture of him and Fi, season 1 of Get Smart on DVD, and 1,000 Places To See Before You Die), and then we sang Happy Birthday as he blew out the XXXIV candles on his cake. Aunt Rhonda was gracious enough to come babysit the girls so we could go out and enjoy a nice dinner, which we did. It was an odd experience to eat hot food in a quiet environment without someone crying or yelling or asking us every five seconds what color they should eat next. The picture up top is us all dressed up and ready to go. We planned on staying out late; we got home at 9:30. I guess we're getting old or something.