I watch Max sitting at the computer giggling away! “What are you reading?” I am very curious!
“I am reading your blog mommy,” he tells me! “You haven’t written about my birthday,” he says disappointed!
“Oh yes I have…..”

I pick Max and Ella up at school and we head to the cheesecake place for Max to pick a cake. We head home and get ready to head to Red Lobster with all the grandparents to celebrate Max. My baby is turning 9. It feels like I gave birth to him yesterday. I remember so many details of that day. I remember bringing him home with snow falling. I keep tearing up thinking about it! It truly goes so fast!

Max gets lobster, and then begins to try to lay on me at the restaurant. He is full and whiny and I am fighting major exhaustion. Heading home can’t happen soon enough for me! Despite us warning Max to behave at the restaurant, he usually ends up attempting to lay down saying he is tired! It never fails!

We wake up on Saturday and Ella is off the wall excited for her first theatre performances! All Ella wants to do is be on stage! Watching Ella on stage is one of my very favorite things! I have a feeling this is the beginning of watching many shows! Max is totally jealous and wants the whole weekend to be about him! Siblings!! Seth heads to soccer with Max and I head to Ella’s performance with Lillie.

By the time I get there I want to cry! I am emotional about Ella going on stage, I am emotional about Max turning 9, and I am emotional because I desperately need a break! Who scheduled this crazy weekend? Oh yeah, that would be me! Oops!

2:00 performance is over, Ella did fantastic, and we go home to rest before the 7:00 performance. Seth and I decide to drag Max to the 7:00 show. As a parent I try to make the best parenting decisions! Am I making the right decision I ask myself as Max complains about going! The fact is, there isn’t always a right decision! What I want to do is drop Max and Lillie at my parents house to make my life easier. What I end up doing is making Max come to make Ella happy! How many baseball and soccer games has Ella watched Max in? I need to teach sibling support!

We celebrate at Yotality and head to get Lillie. I put my kids to bed as fast as I can because now is time to get Max’s birthday scavenger hunt ready and to blow up balloons and put decorations up.

Note to all you parents out there: once you start something it is hard to stop! When Max was younger he woke up to having to do a scavenger hunt through our house to find his birthday present. Now my kids want this for everything!! Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, you name it they ask for a scavenger hunt! Who knew this would be such a hit!!

Max wakes up to his scavenger hunt and then begs to go sledding. I am cold already thinking about it and Seth is getting over a cold. Not what either of us wants to do but we drag ourselves sledding! My parents show up and Max shows off his moves on his new snow board. He would stay all day if I let him!!

We head for lunch and then I am off to Wegmans for yet another birthday cake! In the end Max will have had three birthday cakes. What on earth am I thinking? Sometimes I actually want to slap myself! Max does not need three birthday cakes!!

Time for the school Bowlathon! Max has an absolute blast bowling all night! Crazy fun friends everywhere and Max is in his glory! My sentimental boy is a sad mess going home that his birthday is ending. I reassure him that next weekend is going to be awesome! American ninja warrior bday party coming his way! He goes to bed sad and wakes up crying. “My weekend was so amazing! I didn’t want it to end!” I keep reminding him it isn’t over!
“Can we go sledding again?”
“Can we go bowling again?”
“Can we do another scavenger hunt?”
I try to be as sweet as I can but I am absolutely exhausted because Lillie had a really bad night sleep and kept me up!

I get through Monday and I give myself a pep talk!! One more crazy weekend and then life is going to calm down! I can hope right?!