Bryce is Eight, Eight is Great!

Bryce recently had his eighth birthday.  This boy has his moments of wildness and obstinance (I might have threatened not to let him turn eight if he didn't stop talking like a baby and whining), but for the most part he is kind, thoughtful, hard working, and good-natured.  

In the weeks leading up to his birthday, Bryce had oodles of ideas of different things he wanted to do to celebrate.  One idea he floated was to have a "baking day," where we'd spend his birthday baking treats then deliver them to friends.  As with most of his ideas, I smiled and nodded, and assumed it would soon be discarded in favor of the next big idea.

I was only slightly right.  After evaluating all his ideas, Bryce came to me with a detailed plan for "baking week."  He had identified specific families he wanted to anonymously deliver treats to - two families per day for the entire birthday week.  He also made a list of the different treats he suggested we should make.  

Yes, this was a lot of extra work, but when your kid wants to spend his birthday week serving others, how can you say no to that??  We made cookies and muffins and bread, labeled each plate "Birthday Boy Bakery," and specified Bryce as our designated door-bell ditcher.  Loads of fun!

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Since "8" is not a birthday party year in our family, it usually means we get to go out to dinner as a family.  Instead, Bryce asked if we could spend an afternoon at Tinkertopia.  Tinkertopia bills itself as a "creative reuse center."  Basically, you pay for 90 minutes of building anything you can imagine, with every possible doodad or doohickey at your disposal. 

I let Aubree stay home from school the Friday before Bryce's birthday.  After letting Nellie get a morning nap, we stopped to visit Aunt Kat, then headed to Tinkertopia.  The kids loved it!  Graham's a little young and could've used more assistance, but Aubree, Bryce, and Thane really enjoyed the unrestricted access to tape, glue, paper, and materials galore.

 

Bryce's birthday fell on a Saturday this year.  I think birthdays should always fall on Saturdays; it was wonderful!  We started the morning off with a visit to the doughnut shop.  Each kid got to choose their very own.  

No, this is not a trick of camera angle - Aubree and Bryce chose doughnuts as big as their heads. 

 

 Thane and Graham weren't too far behind them.

Since it was Saturday and Mark was home, Bryce was able to open his birthday presents first thing.  Earlier in the month I'd assigned him a journal topic, "write about what you want for your birthday."  He surprised me by making a three page wish list.  Some of the items were pretty funny - toothpicks, a pet worm, an extension cord, edible seaweed...

 

We ended up getting him a set of Magna Tiles.  He was pretty thrilled.

I need to take a moment to note that generous Thane spent a good chunk of his own money getting gifts for Bryce.  Thane loves to give good gifts.

 

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In the mid-day, the boys both had soccer games.  The sun came out just for Bryce's birthday, and he enjoyed playing and sharing cupcakes with his teammates. 

As soon as we got home from soccer, it was time to hustle down the street for our annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  I will include details of this hunt in another post, but for now, let's just say it was lots of fun and we teased Bryce that it was all for him.

Bryce, Aubree, & Asher

And still our day wasn't done.  Soon the Harps arrived to have a birthday dinner with us (tacos, per Bryce's request), and soon after that another of our good friends arrived for cake and ice-cream.

 

It was a long, happy day full of friends, fun, and lots and lots of treats - just as Bryce had planned.

An Interview with Bryce:

Favorite Color?: "Green"

Favorite Candy?:  "Skittles"

What do you want to be when you grow up?: "A pet shop owner because I like pets."

Where do you want to go on your mission?: "South Carolina, right next to Florida."

Favorite Primary Song?: "Gethsemane"

Favorite Animal?: "Giraffe"

Favorite Movie?: "Finding Nemo"

Favorite Thing to Do?:"Play Geo Trax"

Favorite Food: "Tortellini"

Best Friends?:"Skye, Charlotte, & Asher."

Favorite Book?: "The Rescuers Down Under"

Favorite Toy?: "Geo Trax"

What makes you happy?: "Playing with family."

Favorite thing to do with Mom?: "Cuddle"

Favorite thing to do with Dad?: "Play board games."

What do you do really well?: "I think I'm a good sport on games.  Pretty good."

What makes you laugh?: "Tickles"

What’s the best time of day?: "Depends on the day.  Sometimes bedtime, sometimes getting treats."

What are you afraid of?: "Sometimes I'm afraid of sounds like thunder."

What do you like to do with your family?: "Play"

What do you love to learn about?: "I like Story of the World.  That's history."

Where do you like to go?: "I love going hiking."

If you had one wish, what would it be?: "To have an everlasting wallet."

What would you do if you had $1,000?: "Pay my tithing.  Then I would buy a battery powered Lego train. I don't think my mom would let me, but I would buy a dog."

What is your favorite song?: "Hey Mr. Record Man" (actually titled "Download This Song")

What do you hope you can do before your next birthday?: "I hope I can score a goal in soccer in a game."