Jackson Turns One . . . Twice

Perhaps the one advantage to having family spread out across the state is that you have the oportunity to celebrate all great events more than once. Jack's first first birthday party was in White Oak with the Mitchells, and dovetailed nicely with little cousin Kane's birthday, so we got to have our kids race to see who could create the biggest mess with their little cakes. Jack defninitely won, but that may have been due to a very enthusiastic father's help. Kane got in his licks, though. He is walking all over the place, and gave Jack a good swat more than once. Jack would cry--not because he would hurt--but because he couldn't believe that his new friend would betray him like that. Baby drama, what can I say.

The second party was back at our house in Brownwood on his actual birthday, August 1. What greater event to celebrate than survival of our first year of parenthood. I think this was as much a self-congratulatory hair-letting-down as it was ringing in the big "uno" for Jack.

The party was actually a whole lot of fun. We had more kids than a Wal-Mart back to school sale, and everyone of them eventually loaded up and left without any threats of a lawsuit from their parents. Whew! The pinata was a hit, and, er. . . was hit. It really goes the show how much we underestimate the destructive force that is twenty children under 10 years old. When that thing broke it looked like rice coming off a UN aid truck in Darfur. Utter chaos.

Perhaps the single greatest moment of the second party was singing Happy Birthday to Jack: He was actually not in great spirits--especially considering that he was the man of the hour. We put him in the high chair outside for him to make another mess of another piece of cake. He did not want to be confined, so he was fussing. Judy brought the cake over and we all started singing. Jack all of the sudden realized that we were singing--to him, and that he really was the center of attention. He stopped fussing and got a big grin. He enjoyed it so much we sang it again. Have a ball, Jack!