Sunday was Ken’s birthday. I’m happy to say that he had mostly recovered from the intestinal bug that made him so sick Friday night and Saturday. He was still suffering from that affliction he is frequently beset with: delusions of anonymity. His primary symptom is a fervent belief that simply by willing Reid and I (and the rest of the world) not to make a big deal of his birthday (or other event focused on him), the day will pass without note being taken. But we just can’t do it. How can we not celebrate “our man’s” birthday? Wouldn’t it be just plain wrong? We think so!
Barb and Terry came to visit on Saturday even though Ken was sick. At first I cancelled but then Ken said that Reid and I might as well have visitors (and did he think it would keep us out of his hair, who knows ;+) Ken managed a brief appearance while we ate some of the angel food cake that I’d bought as a pre-birthday cake. Reid and I enjoyed Grandma Barb and Grandpa Terry’s visit. We had a nice lunch, if I do say so myself. I even made devilled eggs for the first time ever. Reid watched like a hawk as I peeled the hard boiled eggs. I convinced her to wait until I’d cut one in half. She ate her half quickly and snatched a second half before realizing that I’d already scooped out the yolk. She dropped it and it broke. I told her I could I hide it with the fancy yolk. As we passed the eggs around, Reid piped up to ask if I’d eaten the broken one. No one had noticed or at least they hadn’t commented but Reid remembered. We laughed and she seemed a bit confused. We went to the Science and Technology museum for the special firefighting exhibit. There was a fire truck and the safety trailer in the parking lot and a couple old fire trucks in the train gallery but that was pretty much it for “specialness”. Reid was happy to look at the fire truck in the parking lot, especially since she was allowed to drive a bit and then to get in the back. We talked about Sheila and Michael in Robert Munsch’s *The Fire Station* because they also rode in the back of a fire truck. She has talked about the big flashlights that we saw several times since.
On Sunday, we had a pleasantly quiet day and then had supper with Amanda and Nam. I made lasagna and apple pie. Amanda, Reid and I carried much of the converational load but we didn’t mind ;+) Nam and Ken seemed happy enough and got their words in when they wanted to. When Ken and I discussed what sort of cake he wanted, at first he just said “not chocolate.” After further consideration – or was it pestering – he agreed that an apple pie would please him.
Reid was witness to the discussion and assured us a couple times that *she* wanted a cake for her birthday. Let there be no doubt of that. They’re polar opposites about birthdays, those two. Reid is anticipating the BIG DAY and making requests for what is to happen. I’m not sure whether she will choose pizza or curry. If it is the former, I hope she’ll have forgotten about macaroni pizza by then. I have no idea where this notion came from or how to meet the request. She hasn’t got a list of presents she is asking for, though. I think she’d like a magnifying glass as I mentioned previously or maybe binoculars. She has been holding her hands to her eyes as hand-oculars off and on over the last few days. She might also like a scratch We have two scratch and sniff books at home. One is about Strawberry Shortcake and friends and is a bit syrupy and damaging to adult braincells. The other is a Little Monster book, a hand-me-down with very little scent remaining that is sniff-worthy, that Reid hopefully scratches at every opportunity.