Ashley has brought a painting home from school “That I did!” and Mom and Dad scotch-tape it to the refrigerator. It’s a family portrait . . . with a house and some trees . . . done in water colors.
Ashley: . . . and Miss Ritchie said it’s really good.
Mom: I think so too.
Ashley: Miss Ritchie said that maybe I’ll be a painter when I grow up.
Dad: I bet people will want to buy this one.
Ashley: Nope. I want to keep it.
Dad: Sorry folks. It is not for sale.
Mom: No no lady. We said it’s not for sale!
Ashley: (smiles)
Today is Erin’s birthday. She’s ten . . . double digits . . . and Mom and Dad are taking the girls to Chuck E. Cheese’s to celebrate.
They stop at Elizabeth’s house and pick her up and then head for the restaurant. It may be argued that Chuck E. Cheese’s is a fun house . . . as well as a restaurant . . . as it has games and activities in abundance. Once they’re at the restaurant all six of them crowd into a booth. Dad is the waiter. He takes everyone’s order, purchases the food, and brings it back to the booth. Everybody eats and then . . . zip . . . the four kids disappear.
Children are running around every which way and there is a background sound of laughter, talking, and, well, fun being enjoyed. And our girls are in the middle of it all.
Mom and Dad are busy playing a game of Dots when Erin and Elizabeth come running over and stop at the booth. Erin hugs her dad around the neck from behind, and Dad turns and kisses her on her cheek . . . about seven times. He then lifts his pencil up in the air . . . like a conductor lifting a baton . . . and, with a big gesture, but a gentle execution, he raps Elizabeth on the knuckles . . . causing her to smile. Something off to their left then catches their eye and . . . zoom . . . the girls are gone again.
After Chuck E. Cheese’s they make for the high school where a girls’ varsity basketball game is in progress. It’s a pretty good game . . . close right up till the end, with the players all trying hard . . . and afterward, in the parking lot, our four girls are enthused about improving their own basketball skills.
They drop Elizabeth off and then drive back home. It’s time for Erin to blow out the candles on her birthday cake and to open the rest of her presents. Mom and Dad go into the kitchen to light the candles. For Tammy’s twelfth birthday they put a few of those candles you can’t blow out on her cake, and Erin is on her guard for that trick.
They bring the cake out into the dining room, and everyone . . . not counting Erin . . . sings “Happy Birthday.” Erin makes a secret wish, takes a deep breath, and blows all ten candles out. Mom then cuts the cake while Dad pours out glasses of milk. It’s a yummy cake . . . two chocolate layers with chocolate icing . . . and, as they’re eating, Mom and Dad talk about Erin when she was really little . . . funny Erin stories . . . and everybody laughs.
The presents are brought out and Erin starts tearing off the wrapping paper. There is a new softball and some new sneakers, a remote controlled car and a Beanie Baby puppy dog, a hand-held electronic Score Four game and a Rebound mini shuffle board game, a nice backgammon game set and . . . a giant birthday card that is signed by all the girls on Erin’s softball team.
The day finally comes to an end. Mom and Dad kiss the girls good night, the lights go off, and there is peaceful sleeping . . . especially for a very happy ten-year old.