Birthday for Benjamin


Ever since you were litte Benjamin, you couldn't wait for your birthday.  When you were two, you only had to wait one week from Joshua's birthday to yours, but it was an eternity.  When you were three, you had to wait closer to two weeks from Joe's birthday to yours, of course with Josh's in between.  Every day you asked, "How much longer until MY happy birthday?"  I can still picture your beaming face when we brought you breakfast in bed.  It took you no time at all to be wide awake and you smiled all day long!  It was finally your "happy birthday!"
The year that you would turn four, we were expecting Amelia sometime around the middle of March, and while none of our babies have ever come early, I prayed that she wouldn't, just so you wouldn't have to wait through THREE birthdays before your own.  She waited, and there was finally someone who would have to wait longer than you!
I think that you get the most excited of anyone for your birthday. This year it was on a Friday, and very early on Thursday morning, you met me in the laundry room. When I encouraged you to go back to bed for another hour and a half before needing to be up, you reminded me that the next day was your birthday...and then went back to bed. :) Friday morning, you again rose very early--although not quite as early as the previous morning--to make sure all was going according to plan. "Did you forget my breakfast in bed? Today is my birthday!" "No, Ben, I just haven't started making it yet. Don't worry...you can go back to bed for a while." You did...go back to bed. Back to sleep?? I doubt it, but you waited patiently in your bed until we all came in singing "happy birthday", at which point you popped up immediately with a grin that covered your entire face! 


Even the other details, such as the treats for school, your special birthday cake, and what we would have for dinner were planned for weeks, and you were good enough to remind me daily so that I wouldn't forget a thing.  Thursday night, I started on your special cake, while Jakob made the dough for your requested "Lofthouse sugar cookies".  (You didn't call them by name, rather, "the round cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles at the grocery store.")  The cake that had been the object of your desire for months was a dartboard cake.
It was to be a brownie base and look like this:


It didn't quite work out that way.  The cookies were supposed to look just like the real deal too.


 I did my best to reassure you that everything would work out just fine.  The cookies would taste good, and I would start over on the cake.  The cookies did taste great, and everyone in your class enjoyed them.  You were even eager to share what was left with your siblings, and very proud to be in charge of handing them out!  By the time we came home after school, you could hardly wait to jump out of the Suburban and get into the house to see your cake.  Joe had already spilled the beans that there would be cupcakes.


 We did our best to make the darts...that fell over by the day's end, and the dart board turned into a bull's eye target, but at the end of the day, you were just thrilled that it was your birthday, so the cupcakes were still great. 

 Pizza and pop per your instructions for dinner, followed by a movie--"Hugo", complete with popcorn and movie candy rounded out your special day. It's not every day that you get to have pop, cake, icecream, cookies, AND candy...but for your birthday, we were happy to make the exception! (Love that pop can come in little tiny cans and three pieces of five kinds of candy seems like a lot in a little sack!)


SEVEN. Phew!! Benjamin, I love that you love your birthday. We are always so happy to celebrate YOU!! You bring laughter to each of us at the most random times.

 You are eager to do EVERYTHING that your big brothers do.  You are equally as excited to share all of these experiences with your little brother.  The other day I overheard you having a little sit-down with Joe, explaining how his first year of school was going to be:  "Joe...you're going to be in Kindergarten next year.  That means we'll get to see each other at school!  We can have recess together and it's going to be so fun!!!  I'm going to tell all my friends to be your friend and we'll have the same friends!!  It's going to be so cool!"  Oh, to have had a camera at that moment to capture the excitement for both of you.  You find excitement in everything.  I love that too.  This is your first year of piano, and you're moving quickly through the books.  You will sit down often and start pounding out notes of a song that you like and before we know it you're playing the song!  You've been so excited to learn "Yankee Doodle" from the music book because it is a song you recognize!  Of course, you're VERY excited about that too!


I love you Benjamin...you're my favorite Benjamin in the whole world!  Happy birthday!  We're so glad God gave you to this crazy family!  I'm sure we'll start planning your 8th birthday soon!  :)