Happy Birthday Daddy!

     After church today, the family came over to our house to celebrate Daddy's birthday a little early.  Next week was looking so busy that we just made plans to have some fun today instead.

     Daddy picked up a few pizzas while Mommy brought out the butternut squash soup she made (from the squash she picked up at Burt's Pumpkin Farm).  

Mommy also got out the cupcakes and candied apples - oh, and the rice krispy treats shaped and colored like candy corn!  It was a huge holiday-themed treat, with plenty of leftovers for everyone.  Lots of sweet and lots of sugar.  As you can imagine, the younger ones were bouncing off the walls.  The older ones were still a little worn out from church, but nevertheless got into a few games as well, such as "Monster Bowling."  

Zena set up the monster pins and the kids tried to knock them all down, rolling the ball down the hallway. 

     Hannah and Madison had fun getting chased up and down the hallway by Ye-Ye, who seemed to jump out in all sorts of different places surprising them.  Screams and laughter filled the house as they raced all around trying to get away.

     Another spontaneous game played today was one we'll call  "Someone's Got a Frog on His Head."  This game has just a few rules, the primary one being that somebody puts a frog on someone else's head, leading everyone else into a song:  "Mommy's got a frog on her head!  Mommy's got a frog on her head!  Mommy's got a frog on her head and she keeps it there all day!"  Everyone wound up with a frog on their head, to Madison's delight.  As with most games she makes up, we have no idea where the idea of balancing a frog on someone's head actually came from.  

Mommy's got a frog on her head!

     For a time, the boys played video games down in the living room while the Hannah and Madison played dress-up princess in the playroom.  Ultimately, Hannah decided on the Cinderella dress and Madison went for the Minnie Mouse dress.  Madison has slowly been moving towards the Minnie Mouse dress lately...

     ANYWAY, it was a nice chance for everyone to take a deep breath and relax at the table for bit.  You can see Madison here with Aunt Shain, getting ready to put a frog on someone else's head.  But in moments, she saw Daddy about to blow out a candle in a cupcake, and had to join him.  Together, everyone sang "Happy Birthday to You," and Madison helped Daddy blow out the small candle.  Mommy made coffee for everyone, but the kids didn't need it.  Daddy opened presents and got the latest Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson book, a deluxe copy of Galaxy Quest, a gift certificate to the Cracker Barrel and even another box of Booberry!  Just in time - I just emptied my last box!  Another thing Daddy got was an electronic pumpkin carver!  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  Boy, do I feel old.  I remember the good old days when you actually had to use - get this - a knife!!?  These kids these days with their new fangled inventions and stuff.  It is a amazing that no one thought of this sooner!

     Oh yeah - and Daddy also got a North Dakota license plate, which was pretty cool.  NOW, his collection is complete!  Mounted across the walls of the garage, you can see them now:  license plates from all fifty states, plus many more.  Daddy was looking for North Dakota this year, so Ye-Ye and Nana found one on their most recent trip out west.

     After a while, everyone went home, but the video games were still on down in the living room.  Madison was quite insistent that she give it a try - so after everyone was gone, we shared a few moments playing "The Incredibles:  Rise of the Underminer" on the X-Box 360.  Of course, she was just doing good to move her character around at all - but soon she figured out that she could press a button and sock Daddy's character.  Oof!  (Sound effects courtesy of Daddy).  At least she couldn't put a frog on my head.  

     Ah, our first co-op video game moment!  Soon, Madison and Daddy will be playing video games more often - but here it is right there, folks:  the first day Madison played a two-player video game with Daddy.  Big moment there.

  

     Excuse me while I shed a tear....I couldn't ask for a better birthday!