Happy Birthday Dane-o!

Today is my Dane's birthday, and I am clearly too youthful to have a seven-year old. I tried interviewing him this morning as we have done a couple of times in the past, and it is evident to me that seven brings with it a touch of attitude:

Dane, what do you think is going to be the best part about being seven?

(Insert eyeroll here) I don't know.

Well, what was the best part about being six?

Playing with Harper.

Do you want to add anything to that?

(Another eyeroll) No.

What do you think you're going to learn while you're seven?

I don't know.

Seriously? Dane, help your mommy out. Let's switch gears.

What's your favorite...

color? RED

number? 8

best friend? Andrew (friend from down the street)

book to read? I brought it for the cake walk. What cake walk? (Um, there was a cake walk?? Was I supposed to bake something at some point and didn't know about it? Will the other moms hate me if I send granola bars for the cake walk?!?!) We had a cake walk at school. What book is it? Mighty Mount Kilimanjaro (the first Geronimo Stilton book he got, I think last year. I'm a little late for the cake walk.)

story in the Bible? Jesus is born. Jesus, um, gets born. And Mary and Joseph have to walk a long way to Bethlehem. And when the shephards are watching their sheep the angels come and they say Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

family activity? Game night! I like to play Sorry Sliders

There's a little glimpse of life through the eyes of my new seven-year old.

Last Saturday we teamed up with Dane's friend Wilson for their annual double birthday party. This year, we got smart and had it at the playground at our church, rented a moonwalk, organized a flag football game, and let the 25+ children burn a little energy on a beautiful day before the cold front came in.

This flag football game has been recapped multiple times over the last several days. Apparently, there were some very dramatic moments, and emotions ran a little high at times. 20 boys, a handful of dads, and only one ball that only one boy can carry at a time can make for some tense moments.

Dane's cookie cake sported a football this year

And Dane's newest little sister discovered that she enjoys birthday parties, especially when her Uncle Izzy helps her with the cupcakes.

Dear Uncle Izzy, please don't move to Austin. Love, Emerson.

Dane's littlest sister caught up on some cousin time while baby Uriah secretly wished for his own pink plastic necklace.

Today we all joined Dane at school and took him his requested lunch of pizza, dippy sauce, and a cherry coke from Sonic.

I attempted to get an ever-elusive sibling picture, giving Emerson the opportunity to perfect her "fake picture smile". Thanks Emmy!

I'm so far behind on Christmas cards this year (as in: we haven't even taken the picture yet) that you may be getting one of these keepers in your mailbox this year.

Emerson+Aidan=Big Buddies

Harper is a girl who loves her some dippy sauce.

Dane's birthday cake is in the oven as we speak, and when Brandon gets home from work today we will spoil our dinner and eat our cake first while we let the birthday boy open his presents. Tonight Dane has requested to look at the "walk around Christmas lights" and drink hot chocolate in celebration of the big birthday.

Happy birthday sweet boy! I hope seven is just as great as six!