Michael Max's 7th Birthday

Michael with his car cake. He and Anna planned this cake weeks before his birthday.

This is Michael's birthday banner. I didn't know when I made it that it would become a tradition to hang it every year. Anna has a banner in shades of pink and thinks Sarah needs one of her own.

Like all kids, Sarah loves balloons and cake, so Michael's birthday was a fun day for her. Travis stayed up late making a big poster for Michael and hanging pictures of Michael all over his bedroom door. What a cute little boy he has always been!

Fun presents from Aaron and Angie and Will and Piper

Michael's got his own Playmobile airplane. Now he doesn't have to borrow Anna's (which she doesn't like to share) and their games have become more fun. Michael had a great birthday. Travis and I felt like he needed a little extra attention this year. The whole family went to watch his baksetball class in the morning. After basketball we ate at a sub shop called Jimmy John's for lunch, which Michael has been talking about for 9 months since he ate there when we moved here in June. While Emily took Anna to her violin lesson, Michael and Travis turned our basement into the Cougar Den with their decorations. We had a great time watching the game together (I can't remember which game that was four weeks ago!), and got to drink rootbeer in the basement while we watched it. We ate Michael's favorite dinner, spaghetti, had cake and ice cream, and went to Chuck E Cheese's in the evening. It was a full, Dastrup-style birthday celebration. Michael got his Playmobile airplane, rollerblades from Grandma and Grandpa Thompson, Myth Busters Explosions (we've watched all seven hours at least once) and a great storybook called Wolves in the Walls from Aaron and Angie, money from Grandma and Grandpa Dastrup (very exciting--the possibilities for spending it are endless!), and a Bakugan from Anna. I think he had a special day, and he's a pretty special boy.