Happy Birthday Boys!

As soon as "number 2" appeared as a pink plus on the EPT test, Steve claimed that our baby would be born on his birthday. It didn't matter that the due date was July 7, only three days before my birthday. Steve remained confident that June 15th would be the day. As if clock work, on June 14th, while at lunch at the DoDo with friends, the first labor pain struck. Hours later I was at Salt Lake Regional Hospital and our obedient son waited until just after midnight to arrive. Ever since, Steve and Jonathan have celebrated together, sharing cakes and singing Happy Birthday to each other. Once again, the eventful day arrived and we commemorated another year, Ebert style!   

Happy birthday to you!

Cha Cha Cha!

Happy birthday to you!

Peek a chew!

The morning began with breakfast in bed -- blueberry lime smoothies and cereal with strawberries (Sorry guys, church starts at 9:00!) 

When we returned home, Jonathan absolutely could not wait to open his presents. We postponed lunch and gathered in the family room. The girls scrambled to put their finishing touches on gift after gift that they had prepared. Emilie and Annelise brought in paintings, homemade cards, a box with a man inside attached to an accordion folded paper that popped out when opened, and two pair of carpet skates that they generously bought at Learning Express. Sophia grabbed random books and toys, including a small stuffed circus seal, haphazardly wrapped them, and brought them to Steve.

  

 As far as gifts were concerned, our one goal this year was to fill our yard with ample toys for boys. After all, Jonathan can only join the girls in painting flowers and rainbows for so long. Jonathan also has sky rocked, growing out of each pair of pants and just about all of his t-shirts. So this year, Jonathan opened a Running Ute sweatshirt, sent all way from Salt Lake, a Ripstick skate board that we all tried to balance on but all fell to the floor, a Celtics and lacrosse T-shirt, two baseball hats, a Tycoon Roller Coaster computer game and a baseball training net. He also saved a small nest egg for the account that he hopes to set up. (He keeps telling us he is going to invest in Verizon --go Jonathan!) Steve opened two pair of dress shoes and spent part of

the afternoon shopping on line at Charles Tyrwhitt. Thank you, thank you to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Our present opening was followed with a lunch that was an effort to make up for their cold cereal breakfast. We sat at our round table and feasted on crepes with Nutella, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, topped with whipping cream and dusted with cinnamon sugar.  

When I asked Jonathan and Steve to plan their afternoon, I was expecting we would go for a 

 bike ride along the Charles River, a hike in Lincoln or watch a Polo game in Gloucester. Instead I got a request for a free afternoon at home. Steve caught up on some much needed sleep, Jonathan began building his amusement park on the computer with Tycoon Roller Coaster, the girls created one art project after another, and then everyone headed outside for hours of baseball and ripsticking. After asking Steve if we should pick up two Ripsticks and he being appalled at the suggestion, our quote of the week is him announcing ten minutes after "surfing" down the driveway, "Really, we should have bought two of these bad boys!" Both boys played like eight year olds! 

    

Jonathan and Steve ended their big day with Jonathan's request of chicken pot pie and chocolate cake and by watching the Celtics in the playoffs, a huge luxury for Jonathan since the game began at 9:00pm.  Only 365 days until "Boys Day 2009."