It's Great to be 8

 There are certain occasions that are milestones.  Every year that we celebrate a holiday or birthday, I seem to be thrown back as to how another 12 months have flown by.  But, let me say, that an 8th birthday is a momentous occasion.  It is like we are entering a new frontier of parenting-having an 'older' child.  Watching Grant grow into a little man is heart wrenching and thrilling at the same time.  He is a rambunctous child with a heart of gold.  His baptism is just a month away and he is so ready for it.  Grant has been playing junior jazz basketball this winter and has progressed a lot!  He is a good sport and  had more than one instance when he lost the ball as he was checking to make sure someone was okay. 

 We celebrated Grant's birthday by inviting a few friends to go to Boondocks.  If you will recall the Harry Potter episode of 2012, Dave and I vowed not to have another out of control 15 boys in our house tearing it apart kind of party.  I loved giving the boys their wrist bands and let them laser tag and play in the arcade for hours.  Dave was supposed to keep track of Brenna (Katelee tagged along with the boys), but somehow she got locked up in the kiddie land and I kept spying him playing everything from skeeball to little basketball...looks like I know what to do for his birthday!!

 Here are Cameron, Grant and Matthew strutting their stuff after a night of fun.  We had pizza and donuts after.  The evening did not disappoint.  Then, on Grant's actual birthday, we let him hang loose.  All chores were excused, homework that was not due was delayed to the next day, piano practice was skipped and as soon as he came home from school he played electronics until dinner-not a usual privelege in our house, but he was in heaven!  He got to choose the menus for each meal and he choose quiche for breakfast and pesto pasta for dinner with sweet potatoes as a veggie.  Does anyone else find that a little bit of a discerning palate for a kid?!  Here is his cake:

 He got some good gifts and

 we sang in his honor.  We love Grant lots and can't wait to see what this next year brings for him.