My little Quiet One turned 8 years old yesterday! It's so nice to have birthdays with just family and a few close friends. I know that the popular thing is to have every child that my son meets all invited to an exciting gathering at an indoor play area with inflatable bouncy things and inflated prices. I know they are all supposed to bring toys and other stuff to fill up his bedroom with things he doesn't need and never knew he even wanted, so that they can become a burdensome daily chore to pick up after. But I'm afraid that we won't be throwing many more such parties. Mama has come to appreciate the value of an intimate evening with cake and ice cream and close loved ones. Throw in one or two well-loved gifts thoughtfully chosen by family and friends who know the birthday boy well enough to be able to sift through all the commercial-driven fads and fantasies to get to the heart of what he really wants (and yet don't feel obligated to bring presents at all because he understands that their presence is gift enough), and you have one wonderful evening.

We started out by letting the birthday boy choose his dinner. I know you'll all gasp in surprise, so don't you all do it at once or there will be a vacuum effect across the globe (as if I had that many devout readers!!). He chose..................pizza!! So I went to Sam's Club and bought take and bake pizzas. We were joined for dinner by grandma and granddad, auntie, and one of grandma's friends. Then we had Transformers cupcakes with chocolate icing and neopolitan ice cream. He got two gifts, and then we went to see Enchanted at the dollar theater. It was a very nice evening! We are all so blessed to have The Quiet One in our lives. He has enriched our family in so many ways, and we thank God for his presence.