Allan’s 8th Birthday Party (How is Our Boy Already 8?!)

Allan, our oldest, turns 8 today, which I’m still trying to wrap my head around.

When our kids came to us, Allan had just turned 4, and was very much still a little kid, if you know what I mean. Chubby cheeks, trouble saying certain words, still a little wobbly. We look at photos and videos of him back then and can’t believe he’s not that little anymore. When you spend every day with them, it’s hard to notice just how much kids change as the years go by. Now I am emotional!!!

Anyway, we had a party for his birthday this weekend at the pavilion on our farm and it was just about as perfect as it gets. The weather was lovely and the rain held off until the next day, letting the sun shine and the breeze blow and it made the entire party wonderful.

We did simple food: PJ made chicken salad sliders and roasted hot dogs on the grill, along with chips and dip and fruits and veggies. We got the cake from our favorite local bakery, The Bread Basket, just like we do for all of our birthdays.

At about an hour and a half, it was the perfect amount of time to let the kids play, for everyone to eat, to cut the cake, and open presents. Growing up, we never had birthday parties, just special family dinners. We have done parties of some kind for our kids for about the last two years, and we love them because they’re so much fun and a chance to see people we don’t see often.

Right now Allan loves watching National Geographic and any documentary about animals, especially those involving sharks and snakes. He still has a dinosaur obsession that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He is deathly afraid of the dark and is the best eater in the house. He isn’t too big on sweets and didn’t even have any chocolate cake on his birthday, asking me “Daddy, do I have to have a piece a cake? I don’t really want any because I am afraid it will hurt my belly.” The sweetest.