Gosh, we have been doing these birthday blog posts for a WHILE now. I started this blog about a month before Calen’s 3rd birthday. Which means, this blog has been active (more or less, there are some missing chunks in there where I abandoned it for a few years) for THIRTEEN YEARS. And as much as I hate to do it some days, I’m so thankful to look back into these little windows of my life. Especially when they were little.
Today is Camden’s 14th birthday. Fourteen. FOURTEEN-UHHHH!!!
Can you effing believe it because I can’t.
I feel like birthdays were so much more exciting when we lived in the Lower 48, because it was. We always went out to dinner of their choice, and then had a family fun day adventure, like mini golf or a baseball game or something. But there’s certainly no such entertainment at our doorstep here on this island in the middle of the Bering Sea. So, we make it as fun and exciting as we can, even though there isn’t much to do.
Birthday breakfast has been the one tradition that hasn’t changed over the course of the last fourteen years - Dad’s pancakes! I have no shame: I suck at making pancakes. I know how to make them, but they never turn out round, or unlumpy, or weird. The kids never say anything, but we all know Dad makes better pancakes. No hate. I’ll just sit and drink my coffee in peace. Cam requested chocolate chips in his pancakes this year. And then of course traditional whipped cream, sprinkles, and number candles. The best way to start your birthday.
After that, Cam was in charge of the day. And much as I predicted he would, he elected to play video games all. Day. Long. Fine by me, that’s easy entertainment, and let’s face it, I’m EXHAUSTED after Cake Day yesterday. So I just hung out while he and Calen gamed all morning.
Cam’s lunch of choice was Tostitos pizza bites in the air fryer to go with the snack board of his snacks of choice - Nerds gummy clusters, Whopper eggs (since Easter was two days ago), red vines, and Sweet/Spicy Doritos, with Orange Crush to drink. Easy, easy, easy.
Brad came home for lunch hour, which means it was time for the scavenger hunt for presents! The last couple years we’ve done as many clues (and presents) as their age, since we aren’t spending that money on fun events or doing out to eat. So, 14 (smaller) gifts for the 14 year old! To go with his cake and current enthusiasm for Dungeons and Dragons, we made the hunt/clues DND themed. Gifts included a lot of DND figures (many that I had painted over the last couple months), two new video games, two video game controllers, a new shirt, and some dinosaur figures that he collects.
Then, back to video games! I didn’t mind because by that point I was so tired I just wanted to lay on my bed and watch true crime (and so I did). His best friend Gibson came over for a bit too to join in the fun.
Dinner of choice was the same as Calen’s - spam masubi, made by dad. It’s a labor of love, and it takes a long time to make, but it’s soooo worth it. With dinner we watched Camden’s all time favorite movie - Wall-E. And how fitting is it that the Earth Day Birthday boy, who wants to be a garbage man when he grows up, loves nothing more than a Disney movie about a trash compacting robot that saves the earth? I love it.
Gibson came back over for cake and ice cream, and then they played Roblox until bed while I walked a quick 2.5 miles around the neighborhood to round off my daily 5 mile goal.
Yes, I was so busy today, I clocked 2.5 miles worth of steps before even trying.
As for Cam, I think he had a great day. He said it was “the best birthday ever.” That’s all I wanted to hear.
No comments:
Post a Comment