Max's Birthday

Today we celebrated our wonderful, crazy, loud, intelligent, funny, energetic, and lovable Max. I can't believe it's been five years since he was born, even though I know I say that every year. It's true that children make the days longer but the years shorter.

We tried to learn from the mistakes of past years and keep today very low-key. Max has a low tolerance for stimulation, and we knew that having another big party with a bunch of friends wasn't necessarily the best idea. This morning our family went and fed the ducks at Gibson Pond then played on the playground. After that we went to pick up Max's cake and find a dairy-free treat option for Luke (easier said than done!). We made the mistake of asking Max where he wanted to go for lunch instead of giving him a few options, and of course, he picked McDonald's- the one restaurant where it's almost impossible to take Luke. We finally talked him into Burger King, and the boys had a great time playing on the playground. Oftentimes, eating out results in a huge wrestling match, but today was mercifully peaceful.

After quiet time and some chill time, we met two of Max friends and my family at Flippin Family Fun, the indoor trampoline park. The kids jumped themselves silly! It was a quiet evening, and the kids had free reign over the place. Max invited two friends from church, Ben and Connor, and I was glad to see him making such good friend choices. All three of them get along well, and the dynamic worked out great. Grandma and Papa provided the pizza and we provided the cake after the trampolines, and Max opened his presents. We mostly let the boys play in my parents' backyard, and all three boys went home very, very ready for bed.

It was a slam-dunk birthday for everyone involved. There were no major meltdowns and everyone had a great day. We couldn't ask for more! We're so lucky to have Max as a part of our family; he brings so much light and laughter into our lives. He may keep us on our toes more than we like sometimes, but I wouldn't trade a day with him for all the riches of the world. I don't know what we did right to have Heavenly Father send him to us, but I'll certainly take the blessing.