A Very Merry Unbirthday

Sunday at lunch we had the long awaited birthday party. There are several reasons it was long awaited- 1) because when you are 4, you don't need a "stinky blanket", 2) because when you are 4 you get your favorite toy in the world- a Leapster, and 3) because when you are 4, you don't need a "stinky blanket".... wait did I say that twice? Obviously, child #5 and I have differing opinions on why its important to be 4. I am sick of his 4 year old, highly chewed on, raggedy, stinky blanket which is aptly named "blue stinky", and he is thrilled to get a Leapster. We made a deal. Sort of. For the last couple months we have been working up to this. When you are 4, you are a really big boy. Big boys don't need stinky blankets. Big boys love the Leapster we played with at a friends house. Big boys can trade in their stinky blankets for a new Leapster. Stinky will be put up "somewhere safe" and Leapster will take his place. (Yes, Blue Stinky has a gender, and it is a boy blanket). Because it was chewed on, it was always wet on the corner, and it smelled bad no matter how many times you washed it. Four years of chewing will do that I guess. Here you can see the damage done- the blanket was hand knit by my mother and used to be blue and sparkling white...


























So, even though his birthday is not until next week, we did the party Sunday because we will be out of town on the actual birthday. Not that being out of town is a bad deal either- we are going to Disney for 5 days and then to Destin for a wedding. And Mickey Mouse won't let you visit his clubhouse if you are a baby who won't go potty and carries a stinky blanket. (Yes, I had several things I was using against stinky blanket). Anyway, its a good thing he doesn't know what day it is, because it sure wasn't his birthday, but we had the party and now he thinks he is 4 and a big boy. Stinky disappeared (into my closet), and Leapster is the new addition to our family. Just in time for a long car trip. Some of the other kids were none too thrilled that he got a Leapster, and I heard a lot of "you never get me (fill in the blank)". Yeah, well, its not your birthday.



















We had one small issue with the new Leapster- it worked for a few minutes, then locked up, then quit. I could not get it to work. I took out the brand new batteries, tried other brand new batteries. No luck. So, I sent all the kids swimming with Daddy, and I hurried back to Target with a nonfunctional Leapster to exchange it. I went to customer service, explained the predicament, went and found a new one (which happened to be the last one in stock), and exchanged it to hurry back just in time. I did open the new one and put batteries in it and check it before I left Target just to be sure it was working properly. The new one works fine, and all is well again. It was a very merry unbirthday after all.