Taking the Scenic Route

Zane had to wait for Oma and Opa to unwrap the gifts.  It was worth the wait.

And Uncle Steve & Nora, who gave Zora her heart’s desire (bike) for her birthday, came through with Zane’s heart’s desire for his birthday.

Then Oma & Opa’s gift:  A trip to Chucky Cheese.  Much cheering ensued.

You know the sweet part?  Zane didn’t really want anything, so he happily gave Zora  his tickets to get what she wanted.

Than back to the house to meet up with Robert’s family, who came to join us for cake.

Zane decided that he didn’t want a Mario themed cake, and for a while he wanted a pirate ship cake.  Then, being a sucker for TV advertising, he begged for this for his birthday cake:

He wanted it with chocolate chip cookie layers instead of the pictured cake, notable for a very literal kid.  We chose chocolate frosting to go in between the layers.  It doesn’t look fabulous, but it was SO GOOD.  There was not a bite left, and that never happens.  We remade it a few days later just to have leftovers. lol.

Those are trick candles, they keep reigniting, amusing Zane.

By the end of the evening, he was “Peopled out” and went back to the corner, found his new book, and got lost in that.

Perfect day.  The days events would have been turning him into a crazy person a short time ago, but he not only handled it, but enjoyed it.  So proud of my boy.

First Oma came by and we opened gifts.  A car from Oma & Opa, a weaving loom from Zane, and a bunch of cookie cutters from us.

Then the cake.  After an ever changing cake request, Zora finally settled on a “rainbow cake”.

The layers are a combination of strawberry and vanilla, topped with homemade buttercream frosting and marshmallow fondant.  I discovered while making it that kool-aid does not work as a coloring agent.  Makes a flat cake that tastes like a sweet tart.  lol.

Then we went to McDonalds to have a happy meal, per Zora’s request, and met up with some friends.  After supper they came by the house and helped us eat cake.  Eilysh got her an Eeyore stuffed animal that was an instant favorite.

#142 Looking at the game.  The notable part of this picture is that it is the first day he is wearing shorts and it’s actually working.   There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Yay!

#96 Potty Rewards. The long awaited “first poopy in the potty” and we dug out the long stored game that he had been wanting as a reward. He was quite pleased. (probably not as much as we were though)

#41 “Pee-pee in the Potty!” (the pictures I can post…the butterfly barrettes were our celebration present)

Although she has taken one or two steps before, she has never intentionally walked before.  Today, she purposefully took her first steps!  One year, six days old.  She walked back and forth between Mom & Dad a few times before we grabbed the camera.  Pictures will follow later (and videos if they turned out), but she is wanting to help me type now and making it difficult to accomplish anything on the computer.  lol.

YEAH ZORA!!!!