Parker's Party

Hello, neglected blog! I have a lot of catching up to do - so much that I can't do it all in one post. So here's installment one of the catchup...

Parker's 6th birthday! We had a blast at Hillwood Strike & Spare, where the kids bowled, rode bumper cars and played laser tag, followed by pizza and cake. This place is such a great spot for a birthday party, especially for active little boys. Parker asked me to make the cake (which I love to do), so I did - and spent about three hours trying to make Scooby Doo out of icing. I didn't learn about fondant until later. Ah well, I think it turned out OK. And the kids loved it, which is the most important thing. (Parker helped by adding the green gel dots and "spooky eyes.")

Our 6-year-old chose to wear a white dress shirt, khaki pants and his dad's tie to his party. He said he wanted to look "snappy" (!). I tried to talk him out of it, but he was firm - and so excited. He didn't care one bit that the other kids were wearing shorts and T-shirts - and the other kids didn't care, either. Parker felt special, and we (the grownups) all thought it was adorable. Now it's my favorite memory of the day.

I hope he always keeps his individual, free and confident spirit. It's one of the many things I love and admire about him.

One of the quirky things about this bowling alley is the creepy singing animals - probably bought off eBay from a Showbiz Pizza. They inspired impromptu dances to "Rocky Top" and "Friends in Low Places." Hilarious.

It was a great party and a really fun and silly group of kids. Six years old. I can't quite believe it.

We continued the party in Arkansas when we went to visit J's mom. More to come - stay tuned!