How We Celebrated

Our family birthday tradition, as it is with so many families, is to take the birthday child out to the restaurant of their choice. After days of saying "I like it all, mom. You can pick your favorite restaurant," Jack finally chose the Iowa Machine Shed.

We also tell our wishes as soon as we make them. I've been teaching my kids since they were old enough to wish for things that unless you tell me your wish, it won't come true.

If I don't know their wishes, how can I fulfill them?

Jack wished for a gift. Nothing specific. He just was just hoping for A Gift.

Wish Granted. The next day (on his birthday) he received a multi tool and books. He was delighted. He also gifted his siblings with new books.

He was able to spend the day at Adventureland with two friends:

His birthday dinner was Rice and Beans. He had three helpings.

Then we took everyone to see Shakespeare in the Park. The play was As You Like It and the weather was miserable. Nobody complained though and I was beyond moved to be sitting on a picnic blanket with my family partaking of the Bard.

We were sitting at the bottom of a hill on Stage Left, so the action was difficult to see at times. During intermission we moved our blanket up the hill, to get a better view. Then, when the actor playing Jacques was sneaking around the forest, he used our family as a hiding spot! Stella and Creed were so involved with the action on Stage, they didn't even notice he was sitting on our blanket.

Creed (Henry) wants to see A Midsummer Night's Dream next. I think the Utah Shakespearean Festival is performing that this summer, so we should be able to make that work! If I'm not mistaken, it's the play Fred Adams is directing in the Globe.

We came home and had birthday cake. Robert made his world famous Chocolate Creme Cake.

I'm done talking about Jack's Birthday, but I reserve the right to lament how fast he and his siblings are growing up.