Ethan turned 3-years-old yesterday, and I sort of ruined his birthday. It all started a couple of weeks ago when I called the pediatrician to make appointments for the boys' annual well visits. It turned out that Ethan's birthday was the only day this week that we could see their doctor in the well clinic. I asked if Ethan would be getting any shots, and they said he would not, so I went ahead and made the appointments.
Ethan's birthday dawned around 6:30 am when he rolled out of bed. The rest of us got up and loaded up in the van for breakfast and presents with Daddy at Krispy Kreme, just like we did for Caleb's birthday a couple of weeks ago. Everything went smoothly...Ethan loved his donuts and his presents, and we all had a good time. We left Krispy Kreme when Daddy had to go to work, and the boys and I headed to the pediatrician for our 8:30 appt. Everything went pretty smoothly there, too, until I was told that Ethan had to get two immunizations (I knew ahead of time that Caleb was getting some, but it wasn't his birthday). Ethan actually took both the finger prick and the shots really well, not crying at all for the prick and only for a minute or two after the two shots in his thighs. (I won't go too much into the drama of Caleb's shots, but let's just say that he had to first be dragged out from under the exam table and then they had to call in an extra nurse to help hold him down.)
We left the doctor's office for our first stop, the McWane Science Center, around 9:00 am. Both boys seemed to feel fine and had a great time playing together for about an hour-and-a-half. They spent a long time playing a dodge ball game & then a squash-the-bug game together. We left McWane around 10:30 for Ethan's second destination of choice: I-Jump. Unfortunately, I got some bad info from a website and we discovered upon arriving that I-Jump isn't open on Monday's. By now, Ethan was getting a little whiny and complaining of being tired, so I decided we would head home for some food and a nap. Ethan was almost asleep when we pulled in the garage, so I carried him upstairs and put him down for his nap. I was particularly tired yesterday as well, so I got Caleb started with a Lego set and I took a nap as well. Ethan woke up crying around 1:00 pm, and said that his legs were hurting so much. I should have given him ibuprofen before his nap, but Caleb had gotten two more vaccinations than Ethan and he hadn't complained at all, so I thought Ethan wouldn't need any either.
Regardless, Ethan was feeling too crummy after his nap to proceed with our afternoon plans. So I fixed the boys some leftover spaghetti for a late lunch and then we sat in the play room and unpackaged his new Imaginext Toy Story toys from Nanna & Papa and his very first "real" Lego set from Mimi. The boys played with these new toys for a couple of hours, though Ethan wouldn't walk b/c of his legs...just crawl. Ethan was so sad about his legs and not being able to go anywhere in the afternoon that I suggested he choose a movie for he and Caleb to watch. They rarely get to watch movies at home, so he brightened right up at that treat. They settled onto the couch in the living room and cuddled up under a big blanket to enjoy their movie together. (I was still feeling exceptionally tired and lethargic, so I did an unprecedented thing: I left the kitchen and play room a mess, ignored my to-do list for the day, and went upstairs for a second nap while they boys watched their movie.)
Shortly after the movie was over, Daddy arrived home from work. Ethan was feeling better (thanks to the ibuprofen), so we hopped in the van and headed to Chuck E. Cheese to finish off his birthday fun. Ethan had a lot of fun playing games with Daddy & Caleb. His favorite thing there is always the roller coaster. Unfortunately, it was also the favorite thing of a couple who looked like they were in their late 50's. They sat there on that roller coast ride for four consecutive turns while Caleb or Ethan and I waited patiently beside the ride. At the end of each ride (they last about 4 minutes each), Caleb or Ethan would pipe up with a polite, "Can we please have a turn now?" which was completely ignored by the couple. Even if they were deaf, they would have seen the boys mouths moving as they looked at them, so I can't excuse them with even the possibility of not hearing the question. They just figured they would take the word rude to a whole new level by hogging the roller coast ride and completely ignoring the kids who were waiting.
After their third turn, I spoke to the manager and explained the situation. She waited out the fourth turn with me, and, with beautiful aplomb, stepped in full view of the couple and said, "Would you guys mind getting off and letting these children have a turn now?" The woman looked annoyed at first, but the guy looked sheepish and they both got off without a word. Then the manager handed me about ten extra Chuck E. Cheese coins and apologized for our wait. The boys had a great time on the roller coaster, and I stood by to make sure they got off when anyone else came for a turn.
We picked up some pizza on the way home, fed the boys, and tucked them in. In spite of the ill-timed shots and the closed I-Jump, Ethan's birthday wasn't too bad. And, the good thing is, he probably won't even remember it :)
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