Dad's Birthday
Saturday, February 5, 2011
It was Dad Day again. He was now 53, although it was more like 23, really, what with all of the miles of running every week…
And the snow certainly had come. Indeed, it had come. Even Dad was getting into the spirit of poor road conditions and had pulled a J-turn out of the driveway the previous afternoon.
Plain oatmeal.
Drop-off of Puck at the house, where Henri’s little girl was also spending the morning, while wishing Dad a ‘happy birthday’.
Cranberry-grape juice at QT.
Required adoption seminar in Maryland Heights from 9:30-11:30.
Most of the crowd made it, despite having slid around on the snow a good deal, apparently, made all the better by Reeses peanut butter cups. Everywhere Collette turned: temptation. Couples adopting from Bulgaria, Ethiopia, China, Colombia, and independently through Rwanda gathered together to learn about infant massage and the five love languages.
Back to the house to see what plans were afoot for Dad’s birthday.
The kitchen was aswim with onion.
Dad and Mom were knee-deep in a bowl of pistachios.
Linnea was tossing around the idea of attending that evening’s Valentine’s swing dance.
And Collette tried to convince Dad to take Mom on an April cruise to:
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Portugal
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Gibraltar
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Spain
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Malta
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Croatia
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Venice
Her endeavors did not seem entirely unsuccessful…
Then it was time for Dad’s birthday cards around the lunch table, including some classics from Grandma Snicketts:
Sorry I couldn’t get to the grocery store and had to get your card at our little store.
Love,
Mom
And Grandma Combs:
Hope you have many reasons to have a sunny, bunny smile!
Then for the cream — Dad’s gift from the whole family — a full helicopter flying training session at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport followed with Dad taking the controls of the chopper himself for a half-hour flight over wine country.
Afternoon activities began to ensue.
OLeif, Collette, and Puck drove out to First Strings to pick up a new set of violin strings. Plus two A’s.
The girls readied themselves to leave for church.
Francis reinstalled the shower head in the basement with less-than-optimum results…
“Francis is the worst plumber ever!” Rose declared, transitioning to one of the upstairs showers.
And Linnea was writing the inevitable procrastinated paper.
Then it was time to visit Grandma Snicketts.
She was doing well. Her back was feeling fine enough that she could sit up nicely, and even had plans to visit the grocery store the following week. So they caught up with her while clips of the chaos in Cairo continued to play on the television, and Puck unearthed the ancient box of flannel shapes in the toy closet.
Shortly later, out to The Valley where they met Carrie-Bri and Rose returning from church for an order of take-home Chic-fil-A, in celebration of Dad’s birthday.
This was followed with Carrie whipping together a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies per Dad’s roundabout request…
“Hey, Carrie,” said Francis, “could you make some chocolate chip cookies too?”
“Can’t,” said Dad. “All of the chocolate chips are gone.”
“Because you ate all of them, Dad,” said Carrie.
Then Dad prepared to hunt out a Redbox and OLeif, Collette, and Puck returned home to tuck the sleepy Puck into his little bed under a mound of warm blankets.
Then OLeif recorded a tutorial video for a website that he had developed before joining Collette in a viewing of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in Charade.