Today was a long day.  Stephanies left early to go the radio station.  The girls have been alternating as radio host on Saturdays from 9 AM to 10:30AM, and if no one else, Stephanie must go and do it.  So this week she went before the rest of us even knew she had left.

The girls have been really excited about the easter egg hunt at the Cabot library, so we got up together, had some oatmeal and then went downtown.  He did very well, getting there 10 minutes early.  They handed out numbers and we were 4, 5, and 6 out of 25.  The library has two rooms and they very wisely put the larger kids in one room and the small kids in the other.  Despite my plans, I wound up helping Errol much more than I had wanted to but he wound up with 14 eggs.  The girls did well too.  We were there for an hour and had a great time.

We got back home and rested a bit. Steph got back from the radio station.  Then we all worked on cleaning the house in preparation for the party.

At about 2:30 the party started happening.  Riley came over from next door, he’s 6, but seems 8.  Jen brought Kadesha and Kasimir, who was very happy to play with Errol and everyone.  Kasimir and Riley and Errol added up to a solid counterpoint to the girls.  They all played together for an hour.

Then it was time for cake and presents. Errol was very aware that it was his birthday and the he got to open presents.  Peggy, Steph’s mom, was a blessed savior with a perfect pair of brand new Teva sandals that fit Errol exactly, and a pair of tough denim pants and a sweatshirt.  Errol was very happy with his new shoes, he was showing them off to everybody.

Gramma Kay had wrapped a dozen small gifts and Audrey and Kadesha were stuffing them in front of Errol.  We didn’t know what was which, so the first present he opened was a lawn-mower-sized tractor that made noise and had a little farmer-driver.  It makes three horrible noises, but he likes it, so I haven’t de-activated it … yet.

And that was it.  Errol was not interested in any other presents after that.  It was quite a trick getting him to open more.  He opened one and he said “Cars two!”  It was a little car from that movie.  He held it up and said ‘Open this!’  Olivia helped him with the ribbons and cutting the tape on the big boxes, and she opened the packaging for the Cars car.

Kadesha and Kasimir brought a great toy for him, a flatbed truck and car made entirely of 100% recycled plastic.  Interestingly enough there is a little space under the bed of the flatbed and the Cars Two car fits right in there.

Audrey made a white cake using the cupcake mold that Peggy gave us a few years ago.  She decorated it with some of the jelly beans from the morning’s egg hunt.  We had the #3 candle still from when Audrey was three.  The wick was hardly burnt.  Errol and I had been practicing blowing out the candle, he got it on the second puff.

During the cake and ice cream munch out Steph took all the remaining easter eggs from the morning library hunt and spread them around outdoors.  When the kids were done, and it was time for them to excise the sugar, we held them at the door. I took Errol and Riley’s younger brother Parker (who is a little younger than Errol’s yet larger) out first and let them find their first eggs before I signaled for the bigger kids to be released.  The egg hunt was over in seconds.

Next up, the big kids went across the street to the rec field to run around some more, while the little kids stayed home and the grown-ups, me and Steph, got ready to go out.  We took everyone down the community dinner at the Mason Hall, where the Brush family were playing.  The kids were running down the street like maniacs, but we gathered them at the door and calmed them down and told them to behave.  And behave they did!  We went in quietly and got food and sat way down at the far end of he room by the piano.

I wasn’t really up for interacting with people other than Cassandra and Dan, but they were there to play.  The Woodbury Fire Chief was there, and a few other Woodburians, we sat near the previous music teacher (Audrey’s first and second grade).  I let Steph have the seat and I took Errol.

Shortly after the children had their food, they were restless.  Errol was wanting to get down and walk around.  So I took them all outside.  The kids played tag and ran around for an hour and I followed Errol around.  It was good fun.

It was finally evening and Stephanie herded the children back up the street.  I stayed and helped with tables and chairs.