The Birthday Trade

For months now, Josiah has been telling us there were certain things that he could not do until his birthday, when he was a Big Boy... like give up his paci or poop in the toilet. Being a bit lazy, we decided to give into his wishes and not force these issues until his birthday. Of course, that meant we had to actually have a birthday party. Which cannot be done on the 23rd of December. So this past Sunday afternoon, we had a birthday party for the (almost) 3-year-old. But as far as he is concerned, he is 3.

Though a bit less convenient for us, we decided that a birthday party in Tung Chung (where are our church is) was the most convenient for people to attend. So here we are having a lunch on the plaza after church.

And then we went shopping for party snacks. We rented the karaoke room at our pastor's complex clubhouse. It was comfy, though dark, and I didn't get many pictures. So prepare to be disappointed.

Here is Daddy and the Big Boy just before blowing out candles on the brownies that Josiah refused to eat. He just ate chips.

Josiah's friends all brought presents, which was very sweet of them. Josiah was quite eager and had a very hard time being patient for present-opening time. So after the frenzy of candles and presents, the kids (and dads mostly) went outside to play.

Ah, stillness.

And then when everyone was gone, Josiah collapsed.

Which more chips and juice, of course.

You can take your pick of which of the following family pictures is the worst...

An exhausting but fun day!

So the next morning, before The Trade, Josiah spent some time shooting his new rocket up into his new basketball hoop.

Then The Trade happened. We sat in the living room with a small trash can and the pacifiers. He sucked on each paci one last time and then tossed them in the trash can. It was fairly easy because he knew that his little green bike was waiting for him.

And then we went on a really long bike ride, to take the pacis to their final resting place.

And yes, we are quite aware that we need to get a new helmet for the large-headed one.

RIP Pacifiers. You were our friends too.

Next: An update on the aftermath of The Trade.