Happy Birthday, Son #1 & Son #2!

On Sunday, we celebrated Son #1's 12th birthday and Son #2's 10th birthday with a little party at our house (their birthdays are six days apart). The usual guest list: PawPaw, the aunts and uncles, and Girl Cousin (age 9 1/2) and Boy Cousin (age 8). We also invited Son #2's best friend and his brother, and Son #1's new friend from camp. For the most part, the kids hung out in Son #1's room playing video games. In addition to the GameCube, everyone brought their own Nintendo DS.

We ordered a bunch of pizzas from Papa John's, had chips, dip, fruit, soft drinks, juice bags, etc. We called the kids out to the kitchen table to sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake. While the aunts were busy serving the cake and ice cream, I snuck into Son #1's room and set up their birthday gift: a Nintendo Wii.

After cake and ice cream, the boys unwrapped their gifts. They received a lot of cool stuff: video games, DVD's (Night at the Museum, Eragon, XMen 2), clothes, gift cards - I can't remember what else. When they finished unwrapping the gifts, I could tell Son #1 was hoping there was something more. I suggested that they go back in his room and play video games - and perhaps notice their other gift in the process. We adults all followed to see their reaction (you would think that would tip them off, but nooooooo)....which was nothing.

Wouldn't you know it -- all the kids went in the room, picked up their handheld systems and started playing. Finally an aunt opened the TV armoire for Boy Cousin because he had placed his Nintendo inside. Boy Cousin was the first to notice their was something "different."

After a moment or two, he turns to Son #2 and says, "Dude, you got at Wii?" Son #2 says, "no." The friends started shouting "You got a Wii! I got a Wii!" Son #2, apparently thinking they're talking about a different kind of "wee," starts to bolt from the room. (He later admitted that he was trying to beat the rush to the bathroom).

Son #1 meanwhile finally looks up from his Nintendo DS, realizes what's going on and lets out this bloodcurdling scream. Now THAT was the reaction I expected. It was a very good birthday indeed.