Oh, what a joyous day Saturday was! Mathias Patrick turned one! Many of our friends and fam stopped by to celebrate this special occasion with us. I am forever grateful for all of those near and dear to us who were able to share in our little man's first birthday. My only regret was the absence of the coolest Grandpa ever. "Dad, we miss you! Please be safe in your job overseas."
The day was somewhat chaotic to say the least, however, what function in our household isn't? :) The morning began with cleaning the house, bathing Mathias before his first nap, prepping of food, setting up decorations and then getting ready ourselves. A smooth preparation thanks to the help of my mom, sister, aunt and Jay's mom & sister.
All together we pulled off quite an eventful day filled with wholesome BBQ, goodies, sweets, balloons, gifts and even a pinata. Yes, a pinata in the shape of Mathias' favorite cartoon character, Diego, the Animal Rescuer. This was the American theme of the party and everything (even his cake) was Diego inspired. I would have to say, though, that the most anticipated part of the entire day was the traditional Tol celebration that my mother helped me plan for since the moment Mathias was born (see the Tol Celebration blog in April). I am so thankful that my son actually sat in place during that whole time without any fussing or crying. He was such a good boy! Surprisingly, the over stimulation of so many new faces and the constant flashing of cameras actually kept him entertained and well-behaved. *Thank you, Lord! Whew!* It wasn't until Mathias had to participate in the Toljabee event that the excitement finally began. Little man's future was "predicted" by the marker he grabbed first. Then the second thing he picked up was another related item. The "future" was made clear. "If the child chooses a book, pencil, or related items - the child will become a successful scholar." Go, Mathias! (OK, so secretly, I was rooting for the kid to grab the money.)
PS - Also, a very special birthday wish goes to his cousins Annabelle & Lilia...twin girls that share the same birthday as our little man. We look forward to many more birthdays to come...