I Survived Another One!!

For whatever reason, I tend to go way way overboard with the kids birthday parties. I don't mean financially (I'm really cheap), I just mean, making sure that they have the coolest, never before seen (or tried), most unique birthday parties. I mean, this is in fact the day of their birth! That's a big deal. I still make my own birthday a big deal, even if no one else does. I make sure that everyone in my office, everyone at home (including the kids) know without a shadow of a doubt it is my birthday. I know as I get older that might change, but I seriously doubt it.

I have managed up until now to avoid the ho hum trendy themes, like Strawberry Shortcake, Dora the Explorer, or God forbid Barney. But this year my 6 soon to be 7 year old insisted on a High School Musical themed party. I had no idea how I was going to pull this one off. How do you make such a common popular theme unique? This is why I start asking questions months ahead of the event, because I needed time to mull this one over. As I started thinking about it, I kind of got excited myself. I love those stupid songs. I know the words to them better than my 6 year old. When I picked her up on the last day of school, I sang "What time is it?" until I embarrassed her so bad, she walked to the van under her book bag. We decided to have the party at the local roller rink, so we could play the music she wanted, without the neighbors complaining. They offered a "private" party option, but of course I am too cheap for that and decided to have the party right when the place opened at 12 noon, knowing that no one would be there then anyway.

I always bake my own birthday cakes. Mainly because it's cheaper, but you can also do some really cool stuff to a birthday cake if you just use your imagination. I looked around on the Internet and found a 6" rotating disco ball with a stand for $4.99. PERFECT!

Because her birthday is right in the middle of summer, people are usually on vacation or too busy to remember a birthday party, but this year we had a pretty good turn out. We had a blast! They even had size 7 roller skates for my soon to be 2 year old son, who I couple skated with to "You Are The Music In Me". I only have about 3 1/2 months until his birthday, and I hope it goes as well as hers did.

I asked her 4 or 5 times that day if she was sure she was turning 7 and not 4, because it seems IMPOSSIBLE for her to be that old. I hope I can still pull this off when she turns 16.

Goodbye Peter!!!

On Tuesday of last week, I received an email from Elizabeth Roles (our asst. rector at St. Mark's) with the subject "Parish Notice". I know when I receive this email that someone in the church has past. Usually it's an older member of the church that was knocking on heaven's door pretty hard anyway. When I opened the email, it said, "Peter Bouldin Andersen" died this morning in Dalton. I was heartbroken.
I left work immediately and went to pick up my children. I guess just to hug them and know they were still there. Bryleigh and Peter were pretty tight. Even though they were two grades apart, they still shared choir, Christmas pageants and any church youth activity together. They also went to the same school and saw each other at lunch and recess. I have really tried to raise Bryleigh "color blind". By this, I mean I never bring up color, disability, or any other handicap to her when we meet a new person unless she asks. Surprisingly when we joined St. Mark's she didn't even ask me about Peter, or his disability. She just saw him as a kid who gets to ride around in a "sit up" bicycle and she didn't. Peter would ride all of the kids around on the back of his wheelchair, which of course they loved! He could maneuver this thing better than I can walk! No one ever worried about how he was going to get from point A to B, we knew he could do it.
I was unbelievably grief stricken by his passing. He wasn't expected to live a week when he was born, but made it almost 10 years. His parents made an overwhelming effort to get done WHATEVER needed to get done in order to make his short life as normal as possible. He played sports, went to the beach, played the head of the donkey in this years Christmas pageant and co-piloted a plane. He was funny, smart, and so appreciative of life. I struggled until Thursday with the words to use to tell Bryleigh that her friend was gone. Because Bryleigh always saw Peter as "normal", she didn't really know he was sick. I began the conversation by telling her about "why" he was in the wheelchair. Muscular Dystrophy is a difficult concept for a 7 year old. After consoling her for a few moments, she looked up at me and said, "Well, at least Bear will have someone to run around and play with now". I wanted to break down and cry, but I waited until she went back outside.
Elizabeth did an unbelievable job at the burial service. This is her second parish death since Dean our rector has been on sabbatical. I am amazed by her strength and leadership in her role as "Priest In Charge". This week is VBS. I know it is hard on the kids, not having Peter there to ride them up and down the halls as he has done in years past, but I know that we are all better people to have know such an amazing 9 year old.
LOVE YOU PETER!!! MISS YOU VERY MUCH