Freddie's first birthday party

The fact that Freddie is still sleeping at 8 a.m. on the morning after is probably a pretty good indication of how he enjoyed his first birthday party. At the very least, he enjoyed his first birthday cake.

More on that later.

But first, the birthday party.

As natural as my October-born son having a "Boy of Fall" football first birthday party was the decision that my January-born baby should be a "Boy of Basketball." It was a decision made well before he was born - like his name or the fact that his dedication service would be held on the Sunday of the US Open.

We did Jones's second birthday party on a Sunday afternoon and really liked it. The timing - between both meals and church services - seemed to accommodate our guests' Saturday schedules and also make serving substantial food unnecessary. Plus, I can finish setting up, while the boys nap before the party, so it's just a win-win on many, many levels. That's why we went with a Sunday party for Freddie.

Yesterday was that Sunday, and the party went perfectly. A rainy morning gave way to a really beautiful - though cool and blustery! - afternoon. And the fussy baby I'd been dealing with for the past few days was back to his super sweet self.

He was made all the sweeter by the way he went after his cake.

When I gave the Boy of Fall HIS first birthday cake, he stuck his thumb in his mouth and stared at the audience waiting to watch him make a mess. He wouldn't even touch the cake, seeming totally ambivalent to the fact that it was perfectly coordinated with both the invitation and the decorations (what is WRONG with him?!?).

Freddie, on the other hand, was a little more aggressive.

Without a second's hesitation, he literally dug in - first kneading the cake like a big ball of yeast before biting into it like a gigantic, sugar-coated apple. It was a thing of beauty to watch.



After he'd gone almost halfway through the cake, I cut him off. Pam Floyd and Freddie's Nan cleaned him - and his highchair - off, a process that required getting more than a little icing out of his nostrils. His cake looked like it'd been attacked by a shark. In other words, it was the kind of experience that the person who invented smash cakes had in mind whenever she invented smash cakes.

After that, everyone else had cake - cut from a different sheet, of course, and then Freddie opened his presents. He got many wonderful things - not the least of which were three big boxes of diapers and an extra-long gate to put between his new playroom and the office. He may not appreciate these things as much as the dump truck full of Duplo blocks or the pirate ship that shoots balls out of a cannon, but his mama sure does!

More than anything, though, I appreciate the wonderful family that always comes together to celebrate our boys. We have been given so much more than we deserve - not the least of which is the one and only FREDDIE BEAR!