Jake’s birthdays growing up were understated, (read: he was happy if someone remembered!) Especially since Jake’s birthday falls in the summer when school is out, he always felt a little bit robbed in the birthday category since he, “Never even got a cupcake like the other kids with birthdays during the school year!”

He recalls one birthday during grade school in which he told a friend to come to his house for a birthday party (of which nothing of the sort had been planned… Jake dug in the freezer until he found some ice cream and the two played out in his backyard). First world problem, but all the same, I can’t help but shed a tear thinking of second-grade Jake’s forgotten birthday! Jake claims he doesn’t harbor any negative psychological effects from the lack of birthday fanfare, but the girls and I try our best every year to make up for his non-birthday-ed childhood. This isn’t hard to accomplish since he’s so easy to please!

We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney, mostly because I was trying to think of a fun place the twins would be occupied so we could relax. The twins and Meredith thought the robot gorillas, elephants, and mock Amazonian thunder storms were entertaining, and spent the majority of their time staring at the exotic fish in the tanks.

After walking around Downtown Disney, the girls crashed when we arrived home, and instead of waiting until the next day to sing and eat Jake’s favorite carrot cake with the girls, Jake and I ate the first slices ourselves. It’s a good thing I took a picture of the cake intact, because the next morning, the girls somehow found it in the fridge and completely destroyed it in animalistic fashion. I found what was left of the ravaged cake later that afternoon and had no words for the destruction! To their credit, the twins seemed genuinely remorseful about ruining Jake’s cake and chirped, “Sorry, Daddy!”  for the rest of the weekend.

The amount of sugar consumption vastly succeeded that of the unfortunate Honey Incident of May 2016 in which I had unwisely left a jar of honey on the kitchen island during breakfast, and when I ran upstairs to change Meredith, the girls snatched the jar and had squirted/eaten 3/4 of the jar into their oatmeal by the time I came back down.

Out of all the options for a birthday activity I suggested, Jake chose the circus (not my first choice, but it’s not my birthday!) Our friends, Heather and Kael, and their son, Sam, came with us for all four kids’ first circus experience.

This was not the traditional lions, tigers and elephants circus of yore, but was more of a cirque du soleil meets America’s Got Talent. There were all the regular circus features– tight-rope walkers, fire-dancers, clowns, tigers, dog tricks, pony tricks– mixed in with a space-themed storyline, jarring techno music, and ice skaters dressed as inter-galactic, double-axel jumping space aliens. The kids probably would have preferred a good old-fashioned simple circus with a few animals and stunts, as it was all a little overwhelming for them, but the adults were definitely entertained!  Meredith was understandably terrified by all the neon lights and loud music, and stayed in the Ergo the entire time.

During intermission, Samantha and Amelia morphed into a dog and tiger.

Meredith had a view of my shirt the majority of the event, although she did come out and watch parts of the show. She giggled at the dog tricks, but was freaking out or sleeping the rest of the time.

Amelia the tiger.

The girls and Sam were mesmerized!

Two pooped wild animals who escaped from the circus.

At home, we barbecued, opened cards and gifts, and Jake and I munched on the crumbs of the desecrated cake… without the twins! Happy birthday to the love of my life and the girls’ hero!

Lots of love,