The Big 4

It's finally here - the beginning of the years when Colin and Emil realize it's their birthday. I've decided that a friend birthday party on the 19th of December is the worst idea ever, but I still want them to feel appropriately celebrated. Somehow I had my act together enough last month to buy tickets to the Heber Creeper North Pole Express. (Not to be confused with the Polar Express. This train ride had nothing to do with the Polar Express.) But first! Cupcakes for the preschool classes on Thursday, the 18th!

I know what you're thinking. "Nicole! You're doing it! Four dozen beautiful, homemade cupcakes!" Settle down. I asked my lovely neighbor, Sara, if I could buy four dozen cupcakes made by her. Her's are more beautiful than anything I've seen in a store. She agreed. Because she is lovely.

Colin also had a gift exchange at his preschool class. He gave away silly string and glow stick bracelets. He got...handcuffs! I've purchased a lot of stuff in the last five months, put a lot of thought into every gift for every kid. Turns out all I needed to do was buy them each a set of handcuffs.

We started the birthday awesomeness with presents - their very own suitcases from Mommy and Daddy. Bridget got Colin the Red Power Ranger action figure and Emil a set of heavy equipment vehicles. What are those called? As a group, I mean.

After lunch, we got Bridget out of school right as her Christmas party was starting (the worst) and headed up to Heber with the kids for a ride on a real train. We were in line by a sweet old lady and her son who were there without any kids. They were kind enough to take a photo of all of us together.

A successful family photo taken by a stranger! A birthday miracle. Notice Emil is trying hard not to smile. Hmmm. We'll see how long that lasts.

It's happening...can't fight it any longer...

Cheese!

How could you not be happy on this train? They served us cookies and cocoa, we sang Christmas songs with Train Robber Annie, we saw deer out of our window, and then Santa came on the train to give everyone a jingle bell. It was the best.

 

We sang "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and Bridget got the partridge in a pear tree.

Afterward Emil was back to playing it cool. (That face he makes reminds me of Andre Braugher on Brooklyn 99.)

They said it would be magical, and it really was. I got a little choked up with happiness, in fact.

After going to the North Pole, we asked the boys what they wanted for their birthday dinner. Spaghetti! So we went to one of my favorite restaurants in Provo, Gloria's Little Italy.

The Provo City Center Temple is right out the window.

Emil wanted a sausage with a fork stuck in it like the clipart on the menu. They brought him about four slices of sausage with a fork in it on top of his mozzarella sticks. (Because of course he didn't order spaghetti.)

Colin ordered spaghetti and didn't get it immediately. This was his face. Every time he saw the waiters bring food to someone else, he'd wail, "AWWWWWW." Birthday boys get away with stuff.

I'm pretty sure this was the best birthday ever. December birthdays are so hard! This means I have to be awesome and get all the Christmas stuff done so that I can make a magical birthday every year. I don't know, man. Maybe I miss the days when they didn't know what was going on. :)