Happy Birthday, Big Brother!

It's hard to believe that the little boy whose diapers I once changed is turning eleven today (and will be entering the junior high grades next year). We celebrated, as we usually do, with a family party on the weekend before his birthday, complete with presents and cake. Once Max figured out that we were having a birthday party, he begged us to get out the leftover "Elmo party hats" from his birthday party, and he and Molly merrily wore them around for the afternoon. Apparently, as far as Max is concerned, a party just isn't a party without an Elmo party hat.

Big Brother's main present was a bedroom overhaul, complete with new furniture, new bedding, new storage, and new decorations (and, once Dad isn't working on the weekends, new paint). Dad and I spent a grueling weekend morning shopping for the room décor and we had all the main items set up, so it could be a surprise. Big Brother was pleased, but I think Max was almost as enthused. He thought the new "big boy" bed was really cool, and we eventually had to drag him out of the room. Max and Molly also volunteered their present opening help – it was funny watching them gasp in mock astonishment and say "Wow!" whenever something was unwrapped.

Big Brother requested a Naruto-themed cake this year, and I did my best to oblige. As requested, I made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, although for a change of pace I made some 7-minute frosting and used it to frost between the cake layers. I called it a "devil dog" cake, although with the frosting on the outside it was more like a giant Hostess cupcake than a devil dog. Whatever it was, it was really tasty. Max seemed a little put out that his piece of cake didn't have any candles to blow out, so he and Molly both got to blow out their own candles before they ate their cake.