Happy birthday No. 3, dear Evan, sitting with Aunt Chrissie.
My dear wife Karen and I arrived with festivities under way Saturday to celebrate the third birthday of our little friend Evan at a pretty local park.
We put our birthday bag on a table stacked full with similar goodies for the happy little man.
Greetings came from mom Julie and dad Aaron, with the sociable instructions to son to say hello to the latest arriving guests, reminding him of the good time we all had the last time we’d gathered for dinner at their house.
Evan was glad to see us.
“I got another present,” he declared, full of cheer.
I smiled right back, agreeing with him in full and telling him so.
It sure must feel good to be celebrating your third birthday with a park full of friends and a picnic table covered with gifts.
Every single thing about that is right in my book.
Evan gets a push from mom Julie.
It was a fine time.
The children played in the sun on all sorts of slides and playground equipment. The adults watched on, choosing between benches in the sun or shaded under the pavilion.
Then kids of all ages gathered around to eat cupcakes, vanilla and chocolate.
I skipped the cake. I was still working on the spread of fruit, cheese, crackers, veggies, chips, dip …
Karen and I had a chance to catch up with Julie’s aunt and uncle visiting from Michigan, whom we last met eight years ago when we all took a group cruise together to Bermuda.
Evan had a good time. As everybody was leaving, he told his mom he wanted to come back to the park again later. Julie smiled and said, no, that’ll be saved for another day.
Kids say the most honest things, don’t you think? Care to share an example? Do you remember a big birthday party thrown for you, and what do recall from it? Feel free to tell an interesting story about the last birthday party you attended.
Mark Bialczak 
Love birthday parties, everyone is happy.
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You are correct, Dora, enjoy when we can!
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Ah birthday parties as a kid were the best! I think that my mom overdoing my parties when I was a child have created an adult monster in me today, as I love celebrating my birthday as long as I can. I don’t necessarily want to get older but as my Gma always says, “better than the alternative.”
Sounds like you had a great day in the park. Happy Birthday Evan!
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It’s supposed to be that way when you’re a kid, CBXB! You have just extended the long celebrations an extra … er … year or two longer than the average kiddie. 🙂
Thanks, mom CBXB, for creating such a glorious party lover!
Yes, this sunny day in Syracuse was perfect for our 3 year old party boy and everybody else celebrating. 🙂
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My party loving is all of my mom’s ‘fault’ and just as long as she doesn’t have to chaperone every adult party I throw, she’s good with it! 🙂
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From your photos, my friend, she’s often in the middle of it!
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Very adorable little guy! I remember my kids saying things like, “I already have one of these”, as they opened a present from a relative. I would usually follow up with, “Yes, but it’s good to have more that way you can share with a friend.” 🙂
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Oh, that lovely comment every parent feels the need to backtrack over! Yes, indeed, Maria. Good recovery. 🙂
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The last party I attended was for a 3-year old friend as well! Besides having fun watching his excitement over his gifts, I loved watching him eat cupcakes and get the colorful icing ALL over his face! LOL!
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Little kids wearing birthday cupcakes! Can’t beat it, Rachel! 🙂
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😀
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I grew a beard once. My four- or five-year-old “niece” saw me scratching it, and glared at me with questioning eyes. I asked her what she thought of the beard. She told me that it was too much. It was perfect comedic timing.
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Somehow I thought you were telling me that you had a beard at your 4- or 5-year-old birthday party. Now that would have been some questionable comedic timing, Chris. But, alas, the comment from your scratched and unhappy niece was indeed perfect. What was I thinking? 🙂
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ha, i thought the same thing, mark!
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I feel much better now, Beth! 🙂
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well, great minds…..
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I was a jokester. I wore a fake beard a lot. Everyone loves a conversation piece.
She actually said, “Hmmm … It’s a bit much.” Deadpan face definitely emphasized it.
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My go-to as a kid was the Grouch Marx glasses, nose and ‘stache one-piece. Maybe one Halloween.
Great timing for your niece. Let’s get her on America’s Got Talent, Chris.
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Happy Birthday little friend of Mark’s!
The first birthday party of ‘mine’ that I remember we were on the front porch. Everyone was singing. I went running around the house in embarrassment. My dad was back there and told me to get back out front mom went to a lot of work. Sigh. I was such a dweeb. 🙂
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It is embarrassing when everybody is looking at little you. I remember feeling the same way as a tot, Colleen. Sing to somebody else, please, I thought when I was two.
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When you were two????? I can barely remember anything up to the age of 15 !!!!
You amaze me in many ways!
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I think it was because I was the first kid, and my parents were 19 and 20 when they had me, but I remember things like eating baby pudding from a jar. Weird, Colleen.
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It’s weird, but in a good, and funny way. I’d be curious to hear more of what you remember from such a young age.
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Nothing better than a birthday party at the park. Happy Birthday to Evan!
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Cute!! At the chiropractor’s today, a little boy walked in with his mom and declared, “I’m through with my paci (pacifier). I’m four now.” He just wanted everyone to know.
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Now that’s a bold declaration. I bet later he backtracked and wanted his paci. Those kind of things are bound to happen at age 4, don’t you think, Kerbey?
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I do. They’re so flakey!
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If I had been there, I’d have been playing on the swings and slides with the kids while the rest of the adults watched…or perhaps by doing so, I would have given permission to other adults to do so?
sounds like a lovely party and I have always loved the honesty of children. They say out loud what most of us still think but don’t say. 😉
Diana xo
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Some of the adults were indeed playing on the slides and swings with the kids, Diana.
The spirit lives on, and that’s a great thing. Yes, young honesty is refreshing! 🙂
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this is wonderful, you know i’m a sucker for the littles. i love them for their honesty and the joy they find in everything. looks like you made his birthday celebration even more special. last birthday i went to was baby b’s and we went swimming and got cake and pizza all over us after. it was a great time.
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To heck with the one-hour rule. Maybe you should have gotten cake and pizza all over you at baby B’s birthday bash and gone swimming AFTER, Beth! Nah, too sensible! That sounds like it was a great time with the little ones.
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yep, it was fun for all and good idea to wash off the pizza and cake in the pool )
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Sure seems like the little guy had a great party. There’s nothing as pure as the joy of a child. Thanks for sharing Mark.
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A great party, kids showing delight in the sunshine. How’s that for starting a Saturday afternoon, right, Paul?!
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What a delicious day for Evan – you share the simple joys that lead us – at all ages – to return again and again. Thank you Mark.
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I think we all need those reminders, Mimi. When Evan said that about his presents, I thought, well, certainly! I’ve been there, little man!
Thanks for the kind words of rediscovery, my friend.
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Every day is somebody’s birthday. I have no idea what that means, Mark, but your present-packed post made that pop into my head.
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You just gave me a great idea for a novel, Ann. It’s the first day ever where nobody is born, and society frantically tries to figure out what it means for us all … I’ll style one of the main characters after you, a group psychotherapist based in Boston, and another after me, a journalist-blogger living in Syracuse …
Thank you for putting that idea into my head!
You are right, of course. Every day is somebody’s birthday. Happy birthday somebody!!! 🙂
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I used to say, when I was a marketing writer at a high tech company that everybody should have their birthday off from work. Then, I amended that proposal to everybody having everybody’s birthday off. The company didn’t go for it, Mark. I guess it was too novel.
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That idea would have started a new chapter in the company’s history, Ann.
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Word, Mark.
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