the birthday festivities and cake reveal

First off, I just want to say....

It is scorching HOT here! This is what happens in 102 degree weather with no AC....

My baby is napping in only his diaper in the pack n' play down in the basement next to the laundry room. And he still isn't happy. Please, someone save me!

Okay, on to bigger and better things..... things that don't get me down like this heat wave we're in!

Ryder's and Todd's birthdays turned out great - besides the fact that two minutes after Todd told me he wanted a honey and peanut butter sandwich to take to work.... I made him a peanut butter and jam sandwich. And not on purpose. I'm just losing my mind. But he said it didn't ruin his day too much, so I'm in the clear. Phew!

The two birthday boys got breakfast in bed.... Well, Todd ate his while sitting on the little boys' bedroom floor. But you get the idea. Todd would eat bacon for every meal, if I'd let him. So on his birthday, I gave him his wish.

Our big three-year-old!

Ryder was so giddy all day long!

Ryder got to open his presents in the morning, since with daddy's schedule and cake with friends that evening, we knew time would be short. And what kid can really stare at those gifts all day and not tear into them?

Ryder scored with the Cars movie, a play tent, Mator (the tow truck from Cars) and a basketball hoop from mom and dad.... Buzz Lightyear, Canadian snacks, some tools, a sword and some cash from nana and papa..... and a fun new book and a kids fishing pole set from grandma and grandpa. Cousins Maddie and Halle even sent him an awesome new dinosaur that makes some really awful noises (thanks a lot, Kelly :)!

Poor Cannon had some issues with his pajamas during the opening festivities. It's kind of hard to crawl around with only one leg! :)

After a morning of presents, naps and watching Cars, we headed out to a bounce house arena with our new ward's playgroup. Ryder had fun but was a little intimidated by all of the unfamiliar faces.

After getting some food in their tummies and laying the boys down for naps, I began the dreaded cake decorating process. It was dreaded mostly because I didn't know what I was doing, and I'd feel really awful if Ryder came down the stairs only to say his cake looked like a fire truck.... or a burning forest.... or something else red. I didn't want to relive last year. Not when all he'd talked about for the week previous was his Lightning McQueen cake!

And so I started.... with nine appropriately proportioned bowls of creamy, white icing.

And then they turned into nine assorted colors of creamy icing... that barely looked edible. There's something about colored frosting that makes me nervous... like I'm eating poisonous food or something. Don't ask me more than that... I don't know how to explain it.

I started out with a little bit of white, and it evolved from this

...to this

....to this

...and finally to this. Not bad, eh? Todd was shocked when he saw it. Like.... he couldn't stop telling me how great it looked. Oh, thou of little faith. But I have to say, my neighbor is the real hero. No, she didn't decorate the cake for me. But she did loan me the Lightning McQueen cake pan. I easily found the directions online, followed them carefully and - voila! - a Lightning McQueen birthday cake any three-year-old could recognize (or should, darn it!).

Ryder was ecstatic when he discovered what I had been working on during his nap. He couldn't stop looking at it and poking at it and driving his race cars around it.... and protecting it from Cannon's little chubby fingers. His reaction, in and of itself, made the whole process worth it. And that's a good thing, because the cake actually wasn't very good.... a little too dry for my liking. But hey, now that I've got the color-by-numbers sort of decorating thing down, next time I'll work on refining my baking skills.

Our friends Jon, Nadi, their daughter Elizabeth, Sedi and Byron all came over for cake and ice cream. Elizabeth gave Ryder Mack and Lightning McQueen cars. Perfect! He's hardly put them down since.... Like, I have to pry them out of his hands each night as he's going to bed!

Oh..... how darling.

Cannon was happy as a clam just watching all of the excitement around him. Oh, and he got the previously off-limits hand-me-down Buzz, since Ryder had received the new and improved version from Nana and Papa that morning.

The birthday boys awaiting their cake.

Ryder trying to blow out the candles through his teeth. Didn't work very well. It's a good thing he and Todd share their birthdays. Daddy was able to help Ryder out with the candles without sacrificing his wish.

Eating cake. Who needs a fork?!

It was a great night. Thanks Jon, Nadi, Elizabeth, Byron and Sedi for coming over!

And you may be wondering - hey, Todd and Jenny just moved to Washington less than a month ago.... how do they already have friends? Friends close enough to come over for a birthday celebration!? Well, Jon and Todd first met back at UCSF during dental school. And we grew to love Jon and Nadi so much, we decided to follow them here to UW's school of medicine. They, along with Nadi's sister Sedi and Sedi's husband Byron, have welcomed us with open arms. We're lucky to have such wonderful friends here in this new, unfamiliar territory we now call home!

Ryder's first picture.... ever.

A closeup.

My precious newborn.

Wow, things sure have changed. I wish I could go back to those early days for just one day.... or maybe a week. Just to hold and cuddle my first little newborn again.

But I wouldn't trade my sweet albeit emotional three-year-old for anything!