HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAI

I WANT THE PARTY BACK!

Last Sunday we had an early birthday party at the park for Kai-Kai. I can't believe that he is four years old now. The weather was nice and it seems that everybody enjoyed the gathering. We had an extra guest other than the family. Joyce and Stewart, our neighbor and the "other grandpa and grandma" adopted by Kai.

I made him the traditional pancit (for long life), but this time I used Vietnamese rice noodles with all the trimmings. Umma bought a turkey...defrosted it and carved the meat. The breast part was used as kabob with spicy tandoori and peanut sauce. Tisha set-up the table with "Bob the Builder" theme. Very creative! The plastic hard hats were used as containers for finger foods, the utensils were in the miniature galvanized pails. She had her tier-cup cakes with Kai's initials with tiny whirrlers... some ice cream too. As party favors, chocolate Kisses, mini Reeses and a picture of Kai with a thank you note for attending his birthday party.

The best part was the "treasures" opening. He got a scooter and a helmet to go with it. The other grandpa and grandma gave him a Casio piano player. There was oodles of "treasures" for him to open with his dad...I can't just remember all of them. Umma gave him a collections of Disney books with backpack...He is really into books. Sometime last month, I told Tisha that I am going to buy him a bedroom set. She already had something in mind as to what to get him...from the Internet. Umma decided that she will get the mattress. I guess, soon he will be sleeping on a regular bed.

One day, he told his Umma, "I don't wet my bed anymore" "I close my birdie."

The worst part of the party was when we started to dismantle the tents and securing the leftover food, Kai went "ballistic." "I want the party back!" He was really crying...he just wouldn't buy any explanation. I think he enjoyed the company of his cousins Eric and Lauren very much. They had been playing with him all the time, playing catch football...so did some of the rest of the family.

Tomorrow, his day to be with us, we are going to have another lunch party! It will be just Mike, Tisha and Kai-Kai. There is another "treasure" that Umma have for him. This time we are going to have a regular cake. I am serving lasagna and will BBQ some shrimps for him. We will see how it will turn out.