The Barri (more than one Barrus): The Lad Turns Six

SIX! I can't believe Brandt is six. This year was Brandt's golden birthday--he turned six on July 6th--and we tried to make it golden. We began the day with french toast (Brandt's favorite), decorated a cake, prepped, played a couple of games, partied, ate, lit fireworks, and fell into bed a day older and happily exhausted.

I think happily exhausted describes how, as new parents, Kent and I felt when we brought Brandt home those six years ago, a new little person joining our family. Little has changed. It has been exhausting parenting, but we couldn't be happier to have Brandt as our son. He is bright, funny, beautiful, kind, cuddly, and imaginative. On this day (and really every day), he is our golden boy. Happy birthday to Brandt!

I made Brandt's cake. About halfway through frosting it, I had visions of cake catastrophe. Although I had frozen it, the cake was crumbling and not very even, and I was worried it would be a mess. I managed to get it put together and Brandt helped decorate it with the sprinkles. I was tossing a few sprinkles on the sides, and Brandt got a bit carried away, throwing a handful of sprinkles towards the cake and getting them all over. It looks sort of golden-ish.

Brandt wanted to swim for his birthday, so we partied at Grandma Sue's house. We found cousin Donovan in the kitchen sink having a post-lunch bath. Too cute.

I tried to make the decorations golden. Balloons, favors, streamers, confetti all gold. The favors were just bags of candy, but it was all gold foiled wrapped, including six gold coins.

Those starts spell out "Brandt."

When Guy came out of the house he said, "What is T-D-N-A-R-B?"

Every time we have talked about Brandt's party, he has said, "Is Guy coming?" Guy works, so I have told him that he would not be with us. Friday afternoon was slow at work, so Guy took a half day and came to swim. He was so good with the little boys, acting as shark, tossing the boys off the raft and generally entertaining them. Brandt got this same pirate raft last year for his birthday, but it was destroyed by a cousin who shall remain nameless, and a new one was purchased. It was fun to have another one for this birthday, and we hope it lasts a little longer this year.

Abandon ship!

The shark swimming towards the raft (above).

And then preparing for a flip (below).

We had fewer party participants at Brandt's party, although I invited the same number to his party as to Blythe's. Five invitees couldn't come, Ava and Griffin did not swim, nor did Blake, Makenna, or Luke (with his broken foot), and so we didn't have many children in the pool. Here are the boys swimming with Brandt: Brighton and Crew, Brigham, Brandt, and Davin.

Guy, Crew, Brighton, and Brandt, all hanging out on the float.

Brandt mid-leap off the diving board.

And Guy mid-dive too.

Presents.

After swimming for about an hour, Brandt said,

"Who wants to watch me open presents?!"

It was apparently time to get out of the pool.

All the party goers. Or comers.

From the top, working down by row.

Grandma Sue holding Donovan, Mikayla, Blake, and Collin

Ava, Makenna, Griffin, Blythe

Luke, Brighton, Brandt, Guy, Davin, Crew, and Brigham

Everyone's best pirate imitation.

Aargh!

Brandt got a Spiderman glove and web shooter.

The web was all shot the first use.

Brandt got lots of Legos for his birthday.

Upon arriving home, with Kent's help, Brandt immediately began putting together a helicopter.

We had Grandma Sue, Grandpa and Grandma Barrus, and Guy and Mikayla join us for dinner. We had sausages, corn on the cob, watermelon, and salad--all Brandt's favorites. Brandt got to open a few more presents too. When I went to do a bit of birthday shopping, Brandt said, "I want Star Wars Legos. No, a double light saver (saber). No, Star Wars Legos. No, a double light saver." Poor kid. He couldn't decide. He didn't have to though. As the Golden Boy, he got both--a double light saber and a big set of Star Wars Legos. We spent Saturday morning putting the X-wing fighter jet together. Brandt started off helping, but after two bags (out of five) of construction, he went away to play with the small Luke Skywalker Lego guy and left me to finish. I considered it part of the gift.

With Mikayla's help, Blythe put together a candy bar poster for Brandt. I don't think much of the text was from Blythe, but she was very helpful in taping on the candy, and in helping consume it. She even signed her name at the bottom. It reads:

Brandt, you are such a "smartie." I "burst" with "joy" when we hang out and play. You are such a "big hunk." I "skor extra" to have you as a brother and friend. I "look" up to you. I wish I had "100 grand" to buy you a killer birthday present. You are a "good" brother to me. You make me "snicker" and "roll" around on the floor laughing. I love you. Happy "golden" birthday, love Blythe.

The Golden Boy

He's wearing his birthday crown and holding his haul.

Before the day was over, Brandt has cut all the balloon strings, allowing them to float to the ceiling, joining Blythe's 4 balloon that is still up there from a month ago. Even today, four days after his birthday, the 4, pirate balloon, and two gold balloons are still up there.

This is a Blythe picture.

Brandt is holding six whole dollars from Uncle Brent and Aunt Brenda.

As part of the celebrating, Brandt wanted to do fireworks. How great is it to have a birthday close enough to the Fourth of July that you can have fireworks on your special day. He selected a package of two rockets that ended up being army parachuter guys, and a six pack of tanks. We lit those all off, with Brandt facing the tanks towards each other to engage in battle, and then Brandt ran into the garage and emerged with a large box of fireworks and said, "Just one, no two, no six more, okay?!" We did two more and called it a night.