at fives and sixes

 

Our Rhett turned five a few weeks ago.

On his birthday, he came over to my house with his mom (our Erica), baby brother Elliot (a/k/a Skippy), and cousin Dagny for a swim party.

His birthday party was scheduled for a few days later, at his house.

We assembled there in the early afternoon and commenced to celebrate with hamburgers and hot dogs done by Chad on the grill, with all the trimmings.

Erica had decorated in patriotic fashion

Aunt Stephanie came from North Carolina to be there, along with Melanie, who is doing so well and we are enormously grateful.

The theme of our party was the Red, White, and Blue.

Rhett is so enamored of the individual states, that he is proficient in naming them in order, and stating their capitals.

He can also name any state by seeing the outline of it.

Recently there was a discussion around the pool about the identity of a state that someone (an adult) was viewing without benefit of words or context.

The smallest details were seen to

It was shown to Rhett, who at once identified the shape as Iowa.

(Capital: Des Moines.)

But someone in the group expressed doubt about Rhett’s answer.

I’m not wrong, he said quietly but firmly.

It's not a party without Martin's Potato Rolls

But you would have had to hear him say it. Rhett talks with a slight stutter, which is all kinds of adorable. At least for now.

So it came out I’m nooooot wrong. And he wasn’t.

I wish you could have been there.

His mother had decorated the house in the patriotic theme, and had bought his small birthday cake at a local grocery store.

Rhett was so excited about that cake that he was taking anyone who would follow him to the fridge, opening it and pointing to the dessert and saying It came from Lowes Foods.

This creation was sourced at Lowes Foods

Lowes Foods is an exciting place to shop for the boys, since they each get to push their own mini grocery cart.

Erica says it’s a game changer.

By the way, the method by which Rhett learned every US state and its capital, was Erica playing educational YouTubes while the children play in their TV room.

Rhett took to it like wildfire, of course, and tht’s a big part of it. But still. He heard the states and their capitals so many times that he memorized them without much real effort.

The coleslaw added freshness and tang

And he has been able to do this since he was four.

I told him he needs to now learn each state’s nickname, so that for Iowa for example, he could have said That’s Iowa, the Hawkeye State. 

We don’t ask for much.

But it seems that our Rhett is transitioning into being able to identify the planets, with an intense interest in the entire solar system. I’m sure there’s a YouTube behind that.

For his birthday, in addition to the aforementioned hamburgers and hot dogs, there were barbecue baked beans and Erica’s excellent coleslaw.

Appropriate burger fixin's

After the meal, the little cake was cut and everyone had a piece.

Of course, there was a five candle and we sang to Rhett.

Then he opened his gifts. He’s also deeply into Numberblocks, so a few of his gifts were related to that current obsession. 

He got the singing Five Numberblock, for example. After five minutes I begged Erica to temporarily disable the singing part.

Skippy at the party

The pirate can already count with amazing accuracy, thank you.

I had found for him, on sale at Old Navy, a picnic and play blanket displaying the United States and honoring the two-hundred-fiftieth birthday of America.

It was a big hit and a quality gift, so I was pleased that he liked it. It will last the boys a long time.

I got him several pairs of pants too, since Erica reported that he’s grown so tall, he needed new ones.

It was a wonderful and memorable celebration.

Rhett and me ... plus Sybil Ann

In that particular family, Skippy is up next, with his third birthday taking place at the end of September.

Since I’m on the inside track, I know that the theme of his birthday party is likely to be Waffle House.

The kid loves Waffle House.

We’re not sure yet whether we will convene at a local WaHo for the actual shindig, or stage a waffle bar at home.

I’ll keep you informed as events unfold.

The moment that he had been waiting for

But first we have our Guy’s third birthday, which takes place in about ten days.

We’re not sure when or where we will celebrate with him, but I’ve already got one present for him and I’m contemplating the purchase of perhaps one more.

Speaking of Guy, recently Andrew discovered him sitting on his (Andrew’s) bedside table, “reading” Andrew’s Bible.

(Guy can’t read.)

Andrew said What’re you doing, Bud? And Guy responded, I’m reading about Jesus.

Reading the Word

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2 KJV)

Praise be.

Then we have our Stephanie’s birthday, which we traditionally observe on Labor Day, since it takes place right around there.

I already have her gift. It’s a girly present and I think she will be pleased.

Rhett's USA-centric picnic and play blanket

I also have the menu planned and it will include pulled pork barbecue along with the sides everyone associates with that.

It’s usually the last swimming holiday of the year, which makes me sad because we have enjoyed our pool so much during this sweltering summer.

In fact, tonight we are having a back-to-school swim party with hot dogs, chips, and Mamaw’s semi-homemade mac and cheese, washed down with soda pop and followed by ice cream novelties that Papaw keeps stocked in the garage freezer.

The Chericas will be here, and Audrey and Dagny. Our Mike is in Florida on business, so we will miss him.

Mike had a birthday a week ago, and we celebrated on this past Saturday with a party at his and Audrey's house. My contribution was a pineapple upside-down cake from this recipe. It's Mike's favorite. The cake was scrumptious.

My angelic grandsons in a staged photo

Meanwhile, in the vein of back to school, our Ember returned to class at the end of July.

I think that going to school in July is ridiculous but what are you going to do.

At any rate, she had a stellar first day and first few weeks, and has announced that her favorite subject by far, is Science.

(Which made TG, her Papaw, who holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemistry, proud and happy.)

This life is full of firsts

Rhett, who will be home schooled, will begin Kindergarten in a few days.

And our Allissa is starting college in East Tennessee, next week.

As for Ember, she was chuffed this past week when, in classic six-year-old style, she lost her two front teeth.

The first one came out at breakfast, and the second one followed later that evening.

She was thrilled with only one missing

Dagny, also home schooled, started back to classes today.

Her mother, our Audrey, has ordered a few Land’s End uniforms for her to wear during her morning studies.

But they found a cute uniform at a thrift store in Asheville, North Carolina, where she and Dagny spent a few days recently.

Dagny a seventh grader? Unbelievable.

Aren’t they the cleverest girls?

Dagny is entering the seventh grade.

All this book learning has exhausted me. It’s strenuous enough just keeping up me pirate standards in other areas.

So we will continue celebrating, and working, and rejoicing, until the day break, and the shadows flee away!

And that is all for now.

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Happy Thursday