Claude's Birthday Begins...

One of the joys of having grandmonsters close is the opportunity to celebrate birthdays. Little ones love a birthday party no matter how it looks.

This month Claude has his next birthday and turns 61 years old. Since Hayden and Bailey really like celebrating any of our family members birthdays, we plotted a trip to LaGrange. Andie needed a sitter for Bailey on Friday morning while she went to the elementary school to receive training to help the kids with reading and other things. Claude and I would go over on Thursday evening in time for a dinner to celebrate Claude's upcoming birthday. Then we would spend the night and watch Bailey the next morning. We would end this visit by surprising Hayden at lunchtime at his school.

Knowing this was going to happen, I spent hours finishing their Halloween costumes so they could be given to them on this trip.

Thursday morning we got up and got to work. We had friends moving to Tennessee that we were going to take dinner to on our way to LaGrange. I pulled that meal together, Claude took care of things at City Hall and we were ready to leave in the early afternoon.

Andie called in the morning and explained that Bailey had croup and was not going to pre-school that day. She felt we needed to be sure we wanted to come into a sick home. She also explained the teacher that was to have done her training that morning had also cancelled and she did not need a sitter for Bailey.

I hung up the phone and Claude and I discussed the situation. We determined that we really wanted to get the Halloween costumes delivered so we would go anyway. 

We took this trip in the Jeep. We visited the Brunty's and gave them dinner and said our good-byes. They had a wrought iron table and chairs for the patio they were not taking with them. One of the chairs needs a bit of mending. Claude and I were given these treasures and put them in the back of the Jeep. They will go on the hill on the tier of ground by the sandbox.

Then we headed to Frankfort. Claude had some paperwork to drop off for Sadieville there.

Then we were on our way to LaGrange. We made a pit-stop at the Dairy Queen in LaGrange for an ice cream cake for our celebration. Oreo Cookie was Claude's choice. I told him he could have whatever he wanted, he just had to pay for it...such is life as you age.

We got to the Marx home and the kids were at the end of quiet time. We visited with Andie a bit and then it was time for me to go up and check on Hayden. I knocked on his bedroom door and then entered. I found the young man standing looking through the blinds at Claude's Jeep. He knew we were there and had been a good young man and stayed in quiet time in his room until it was okay to come down. We read his new dinosaur book and talked to 'Rex' his new stuffed dinosaur. His Gramma Joyce sent him and Bailey gift cards to Barnes & Noble and these were the treasures he purchased with his gift card.

Then we headed downstairs to find Grampa and Mommie. Hayden is a delight after quiet time. He has had time for his little brain to process all kinds of thoughts and he comes with ideas and questions a plenty.

Eventually Bailey made noises on the monitor and I headed up to get our young lady. She spoke in whispers most of the time. Wah-Wah was close at hand a lot. You could tell she wasn't quite on her game but she was very happy to have visitors none-the-less.

We watched a movie named "The Princess Swan". Claude ordered pizza and went to pick it up for dinner. Then we headed to the dining room for our birthday celebration.

Bailey was happy to take a 'bunch' of pictures. This was one she took of Hayden Claude and me having dinner with 'Rex'.

Hayden wanted candles on top of the ice cream cake that said Grampa's age. Andie had a 6 and not a 1. So we improvised with the 6 and 1 candle for the one. This was fine for the kidlings. Bailey is only wearing my reader glasses. She does not wear glasses yet.

Andie brought out the special celebration plate. She made this in a pottery class and it is used by the person being celebrated. Hayden gave it to Claude with specific instructions about the importance of being the one who gets to use this 'special' plate.

Happy Birthday was sung (Hayden quickly volunteered to start us on this song) and candles were blown out. The cake was delicious. The sugar high put us in the right mood to open presents.

My present for Claude was on order and had not arrived. He would need to wait to get it until Monday. But the Mini-Marx's had made presents for me and for Claude. I was in St. Louis on my birthday so my present had waited until Claude's birthday.

Here is Sandi opening her present with help and direction for Hayden.

This beautiful plant is called a 'Turtlehead' plant. Andie found it at Lowe's and it was a must purchase for her turtle-lovin' mother. And the blossoms are purple in color. Could it get more perfect than that?  I never even knew there was a plant called a 'Turtlehead' plant.

Then Hayden brought me a bag with my present in it.

The kids had painted on pottery for me and for Claude. My piece was a beautiful flower pot with their handprints on it. Painted in purple of course!! Look at the grin on Hayden's face. I think the kid is about to pop with joy!!

Then Hayden brought out Claude's birthday pottery.

Claude's pottery is a bowl for popcorn. It even had a box of popcorn in it. It has planets and fun things all around the outside painted by the Mini-Marx's.

After everyone was full, it was time to pull out those Halloween costumes to give to Hayden and Bailey. Hayden asked to be Peter Pan this year. Bailey asked to be a dinosaur, specifically a T-Rex. Andie purchased patterns and fabric. Gramma did the sewing. The kids were beside themselves with joy at their costumes. They immediately set to work putting all their Halloween gear on. Here are the Dynamic Duo in their Halloween duds.

Hayden and Bailey got into character right away. Hayden was ready to fly and Bailey was growling and stomping like a real T-Rex.

Bailey's costume is like a zipper front footed sleeper. However, the bottoms of the feet have an elastic strap to go under the sole of the kids shoe to keep the foot in place. Bailey did not have on shoes. So the feet of her costume tended to go backwards on her leg. If you look at the picture closely you'll notice her tail and her feet. The feet are backwards in the picture.

Andie suggested the kids might want to head outside and run in their costumes to wear off some of that sugar high from the ice cream cake. So outside we went. The neighbors came out and checked out the costumes. Hayden's hat eventually turned sideways. Bailey learned that she could run faster if she reached around and grabbed that tail and carried it in her arms. The feet of her costume remained facing backwards.

For some reason the bush by the garage was great fun for these two. First Hayden suggested it would be a great place for Bailey's tail. Then Hayden tried peeking in it.

Whenever she needed a break, Bailey found safe refuge on the front steps with her Grampa.

The kids ended their evening with a big chase around the front yard.

Bailey would sleep with her costume. These costumes will get lots of use in October. Andie finds lots of festivals and things to take the kids to. What fun will be had!

Michael had been out refereeing soccer all evening. He was a happy camper to come home to good salad, pizza and ice cream cake.

Friday morning Hayden got up early and headed out to kindergarten. Bailey played happily around the house all morning. When it came time for lunch, Claude and I headed to Subway to pick up lunch for us and Hayden. Then we headed to the elementary school to surprise Hayden. He had no clue we were coming.

Hayden was ecstatic to see Claude and I. Claude sat by him for lunch and Hayden introduced him to his teacher and the cafeteria worker and his best little friend in his kindergarten class.

We are happy we braved the croup and other obstacles to enjoy this evening and morning with the Marx family. It was fun to celebrate a birthday or two. It was also great fun to see the kids enjoy all those hours of sewing costumes. And it was just a delight to watch Hayden and his Grampa enjoy a nice lunch together at Hayden's school.