Birthday Shopping is Hard ... Birthday Partnies are Fun

Birthday shopping for Teddy is one of my least favorite things to do. When I told my mom this, she laughed, until I explained. It's not that Teddy is hard to buy presents for because he enjoys a number of things and likes to play with toys. It's not even that there's nothing Teddy needs because he tears through clothes like no other, and most toys help him so much more than a typical kid with furthering his skills.

Happy birthday boy opening his presents.

It's that buying a birthday present serves as a stark reminder of where Teddy is not. Rarely would any of the toys appropriate for his actual age be appropriate or of interest to him. The things he would like are geared toward a much younger age group. Dave and I used respite last year to go searching for something for his birthday, and I ended up fighting back tears as we left Toys R Us with a single baby toy. This year I went to two toy stores after work, with a specific type of lacing toy in mind, so I thought it wouldn't be bad. I left the one store disappointed they didn't carry something like what I wanted. I left Toys R Us with a bit of extra moisture in my eyes but with a different toy that I thought Teddy would enjoy. Maybe I'm just allergic to Toys R Us.

Birthday shopping is the worst. It's because it's the time to buy presents for Teddy that correlates to his age. Don't get me wrong ... Teddy turning 4 is a whole positive, remarkable blog post in its own for later this week. Birthday shopping is what sucks.

But  his birthday party didn't. Because everyone else is able to focus on what I still struggle with when birthday shopping: the amazingly happy little boy who loves people. Our family and friends found wonderful presents for Teddy including blue jeans with elastic waistbands (to hold up to his wear and tear and allow him to help dress) and hilarious shirts (about not needing sleep or naps). He has a new assortment of toys that he (and AJ) will love.

It's not his fault he's dirty. He ate dirt cake. ;-)

Teddy spent his birthday party hanging out with all the people he loves, eating delicious food and opening (most) of his own presents with the assistance of his handy helper cousins. It was so neat to watch Teddy open most of his presents because that's something that's taken quite a while for the focus and ability to come together.

So the end to this ramblings is a heartfelt thank you to those who celebrated Teddy's birthday early with us (as we're heading on vacation on his birthday). You made his day special with your presence alone, but he'll also enjoy your presents much in the months to come.