The Birthday Party Just Keeps Keepin' on Back at Home

I guess you only turn one once...that sounded weird, but it's no less true...When Dad got home from work we had Baachan and Grandad at the house and there were cupcakes on the go and gifts to be ripped into. It was a bit of a bummer that Grandma couldn't have come over but she's still recovering from her six million dollar man surgery. I guess that' means Zoey gets two birthday parties.


Zoey and Grandad tearing the kitchen apart with laughter and some pretty whacked out balloon antics.

There was a UPS package from Vancouver and Aunt Netta waiting for Zo, and Dad brought home an awesome balloon that in the end might as well have been her only gift, that's how much she loved it...well, that and Netta's UPS box...not the contents, mind you, just the box.


Happy Birthday to le Zed...happy birthday to la Zo...happy birthday dear Zipster...

Zo pulled in a new kokeshi doll, a wicked awesome Team Canada Olympic sweater, some fun Katie McLellan Stuffed Dudes, a crazy amazing hand made sleeper from Baachan, and a sweet Oliver Jeffers Book, Lost and Found, not to mention a wide variety of this and thats...not too much but just enough to assure her that birthdays are made for hauling in the goods. She tore into her cupcakes pretty good, and made the kind of mess that only Zo can, which means hardly anything at all. We still love her though, even if she isn't willing to trash the place on her birthday. It's reassuring to me and I hope she's still the same way on her 19th birthday.


Daddy and Zo messin' around after the cupcake debacle.

Zedder was super psyched for her little birthday shin-dig, much more than we anticipated, and everyone had a good time except poor Grandma who had to settle for a phone call and some unfortunate telephone Happy Birthday singing. We'll have to make it up to her. Baachan did her best to make up for at least one missing Grandma, maybe two or three.


Baachan helps Zo figure out the McRitchie's card. It was a pop up deal that was fairly hypnotizing for the Zed.

All in all it was a beauty day. It would have been nice to see Pops, and Uncle Ian (who donated enough money to Zo's education savings to ensure that he doesn't eat for two weeks), and Uncle Brad and Heather and the kids but such is life on the lake. Zo made the most of her last first birthday...again, sounds weird...and we're sitting here with a sleeping Zed and smiles on our faces. It was, indeed, a good day.

Top Ten Bits & Pieces of Zed's 1st Birthday

1. $5 balloon...an absolute freakfest.

2. Zo's (and Mom's) first Cabbage Patch Kid

3. UPS package all the way from Vancouver

4. Super sweet Happy Birthday song crooned by Grandma through the phone

5. Dustin's Facebook status wishing Zed a happy one...not a comment on our walls but his own status. That's a good fella.

6. Wicked cool...I mean wicked cool...Canada Olympic sweater

7. Zo's first taste of chocolate (thumbs up verdict) and the hilarious cleanliness that ensued...what a weird kid!

8. Exploring the big girl with Dad

9. Helping Barb answer the YMCA phones while simultaneously emptying out her pen holder and experimenting with every marker in the building.

10. The look on a little girl's face who we thought might have no clue that today was special, but she did.

Bonus Bits & Piece - Aunt Serree and Uncle Mike's Happy Birthday text to June's phone at nearly 11pm. That's some kind of sweet, I tell ya.

BTW...there are more photos of the day's sweet, sweet, fun over at Dad's Flickr site, you know, in case you're desperate for sappy photographs and such.