Celebrating May 2nd

I love my children quite equally and fiercely, but their birthdays?  I might have a favorite.  Noah's!  Sorry, daughters.  I treasure all my babies' birthdays, but May 2 will always have been the most anticipated, most changing, most exciting birthday of a kiddo we have had.  It was the adoption, it was that FIRST child, it was that first-time parenting experience Josh and I shared.  There's just something about it...

This year, May 2nd, Noah's 12th birthday went like this ...

I woke up and went through his Lifebook from before, during, and after those first three months.

It was special to hand the book to him for him to take in himself.  Not sure if he has before???  He really enjoyed it.

Annual back porch birthday pic for Facebook. ;) Handsome guy!

We weren't gonna open any presents til Josh got home from work, but I did let him open this ONE, since we were taking the day off school and it would directly impact how he would otherwise spend the day waiting for Josh to get home.  For those who don't know, he has been grounded from video games since January and it was supposed to go til June.  Until I got this great idea...

Stunned.

Elated!

Overjoyed!

So very very thrilled.

Could not contain the excitement!  Ahhhh, freedom.

Bless it.  Cheapest gift we got him that packed more punch than all the rest.  HA!!

Then we went to pick up his requested cake ... Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Josh took half the day off and met us close to 1:00.  We did one present to take the birthday edge off before heading out to a late lunch at Noah's request - Rainforest Cafe.  Anna and Lasa loved their consolation gifts - a remote control car for Lasa and a Lego set for Anna.

Lasa was Terrified with a capital T of every second in the Rainforest Cafe. 

 

We were so full from Rainforest, we waited a few hours before doing cake. 

Presents this year included Star Wars The Last Jedi, two board games (Pass the Pigs/5 Second Rule), some You Choose books, Sounds tickets on Star Wars weekend, that Get Out of Video Gaming Jail Free pass, a much anticipated Laser Tag set, moolah from Memaw/Papa, and a Nintendo Switch from Tania/Elba/Hector the weekend before.

The laser tag set is AWESOME and we totally recommend.

Next up, Noah's birthday first outing and the Sounds game the next day.