Happy Birthday Daddy!

Xander coloring on Tommy's present - we make our own wrapping paper!

Our table decorations

Xander's poster

Mikaela's poster

Opening the card- to find his first clue

Ahh...finding present number 3

So, this is where the Dr. Seuss tea cups are??? HMMMMM

I know Tommy wishes that we wouldn't make such a fuss over his birthday - while he loves how excited the kids get, and really enjoys watching them, he hates all the fuss over him.

For you see, I married a truly selfless man. He is amazing. Our dear "daddy" works so hard - all the time. He takes every extra job that the school has to offer - coaches sports, teaches the after school program, mans the Saturday school. If it pays, and thus helps our family, he is there. He never buys himself anything, and refuses to allow us to splurge on him.

So, for that reason, every year on his birthday - we are a team on a mission. The kids and I work together for weeks leading up to Tommy's birthday to plan the best party ever.

Our first tradition is that the kids get to pick the theme. Football plates and cups they insisted (thank you Target for 75% off superbowl stuff last month!). Mikaela wanted a birthday cake that said "My Dad Rocks!" - check! And, the kids always get one piece of poster board to decorate for their daddy. Mikaela wrote Tommy a song and drew a picture to go with it on her board. Xander colored superhero pages from his coloring book, cut them out, and pasted them on - all by himself. We hung some streamers, dug out a green tablecloth (leftover from the rock star wild party), and put out a picture frame with pictures of the kids for deocration.

Next, I always take the kids to Walmart and let them pick out a gift. Mikaela chose a basketball for Tommy - she has been learning about basketball in gym and wanted him to help her. We don't have one, so perfect gift! Xander was guided toward a subscription to a gamer magazine from our Game Stop store. I'm sure Tommy would have loved the light saber that he picked out, but I can not handle one more light saber in our home...at least not now.

This year I had been secretly saving to buy Tommy a Wii. He really wanted a Wii for Christmas - but as all us parent people know, Christmas is not about the grown ups. The little people wanted other things from the big man in the red suit, and he always delivers.

I had been saving, and over the last few weeks had to spend some of my saved money on other necessities (darn those children who grow and need new clothes, and those bills that appear that you forgot about - what kind of bday present is a tag bill?). Anyhoo, my dear friend Jennifer and her dear friend Christine came to our rescue - and directed me toward buying a used Wii for our bday gift. I was so excited - and this secret I kept from the short people, just in case!

On the day of Tommy's party, Mikaela and I sent the boys out to run some errands (a get out of the house mission!).

She and I created a picture scavenger hunt for Tommy. In his birthday card, we placed the first picture. Once he found that item in our house, he also found another picture clue. We hid about 15 clues which made for a fun race around the house. Some clues had stickers on them indicating that where he found that, he would aslo find one of the gifts hidden.

Hilarious - we learned that Tommy doesn't know where the coffee pot, the iron, the fancy tea cups that I collect, or his striped polo shirt are found!

The kids loved the hide and seek game, and so did Tommy.

After all the presents were uncovered, we opened gifts. Everyone - the little people especially - was so excited! The kids jumped up and down and Tommy kept repeating "I thought we couldn't....".....he was suprised too!

We were so happy to be able to give our fabulous daddy such an amazing birthday!