Birthday Bash

We just couldn't wait to celebrate the boys' birthdays this year, so we celebrated a few days early.

Darling Daughter helped me make gluten-free funfetti cupcakes, and the boys couldn't believe they got to have cake for their birthdays!

Since the smog has been so bad here this month, we had to cancel our plans for an outdoor adventure. Instead, we decided to go bowling! 

First, though, we headed to Butter Is Better, an American-style diner with lots of gluten free options on the menu. It has quickly become the kids' favorite restaurant here in Chiang Mai. There, we met friends and got the party started with GF chocolate pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and rootbeer floats.  Sorry, no pictures. I was too busy enjoying my dark chocolate banana pancakes. . . . mmmmmm.

Then we headed to Bully Bowling where we met up with even more friends. We ended up with 17 people in the group altogether, so it was a fun crazy party. Bowling without bumpers is a lot harder than I ever imagined it would be (especially when half the participants are under the age of 10!) but they still had fun dancing between turns and trying to knock down the pins. The disco lighting made it even more fun. Funny Guy realized that since everyone was getting gutter balls anyway, he could bowl any silly way he wanted and had fun with some behind his back and through the legs turns. In fact, he was the first kid to knock down pins and he did it with a behind his back/through his legs combo! After bowling, we stopped for cupcakes and presents. 

Everyone had a blast. After we got home, though, there were still family presents! Funny Guy and Young Man had a great year getting squirt guns (in preparation for Songkran), Big Hero 6 (which they watched the next day), and other fun things. (Some of the things we'd ordered online a month ago didn't make it--brings a whole new level to thinking ahead!) My favorite was seeing how generous the kids were with their gifts to each other. We have such good kids.

The highlight for Young Man's birthday, though wasn't exactly a surprise. He found out last month that we decided to send him on a scouting trip down south to the Similian Islands and to become PADI scuba certified. It is my dream vacation and I am super jealous. :-)  He will be going with a great group and will hopefully make some stronger friendships and great memories. I can't wait to go diving with him sometime soon!

So what's new with our boys?  Here are the answers from this year's annual questionnaire:

Young Man

Weight: 111 lbs.
Height: 64 inches
Favorite color: Black
Favorite book you read last year: Ranger’s Apprentice Series
Favorite memory from last year: Playing tackle football in 11 inches of snow on the tennis courts at Oakwood with Owen, Connor, Ravi, and everyone (oops, actually that was before my birthday last year this year; this year, would have been Scout Camp, definitely); oh yeah, wait, actually it was white water rafting with Grandma & Grandpa!
Most memorable accomplishment last year: Getting in PreAlgebra early, especially with all the interruptions of moving
Goal for this year: Successfully get PADI scuba certified
What do you want to be when you grow up?  An environmental engineer
Favorite board game: Stratego & Risk
Favorite game: Soccer
Best friends: Pat, Taemin (soccer team mates at CMIS)
Favorite subject at school: Social Studies
Favorite food: Banana smoothies
Favorite song: Hall of Fame (the Script), Don’t You Worry Child (Swedish House Mafia), Pompay (Bastille), Centuries (Fallout Boy)
Favorite scripture: 1 Nephi 3:7

 Funny Guy

Weight: 65 lbs.
Height: 52 inches
Favorite color: Yellow
Favorite book you read last year: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Favorite memory from last year: Whitewater river rafting, definitely.
Favorite scripture story: When Samuel was being called to be a prophet in the Old Testament.
Most memorable accomplishment last year: Learning to rollerblade      
Goal for this year: Become totally fluent at rollerblading!
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A computer engineer, because inside computers is cool.
Favorite board game: Sorry
Favorite game: Jump-rope, no, super ring ball
Best friends: Panwa
Favorite subject at school: Math
Favorite food: Mom’s gluten free funfetti cupcakes (that we had for my birthday party!)
Favorite song: Country Road (yep, still my favorite!)
Favorite scripture: 1 Nephi 3:7