"So Long Four..."

The day began much as it did five years ago - before sunrise and with a sense of hurried anticipation. Except instead of being summoned into motherhood by labor pains and a giant cut to the gut, I was beckoned back from dreamland by a couple of antsy boys anxious to start the day.

It was their fifth birthday.

Dan took the day off and we took the boys to school, armed with their birthday bags filled with a  "birthday gift to the classroom," birthday plates and napkins (no snack, mind you - that is not allowed), and baby pictures for their classmates to examine and discuss ("You share the same birthday?" "What's a twin?" No joke: ask them what a twin is and they still don't really comprehend anything beyond "we're brothers.")

After school and a birthday lunch at McDonald's, we took them to Castles 'n Coasters for an afternoon of arcade games, an Indy car ride and 18 holes of goofy golf. It was a lovely, low key day.

Dinner commenced at their favorite sit-down restaurant, Buca di Beppo, where the waiters enthusiastically sang "Happy Birthday" and served up a giant slice of lemon raspberry cake.

James was so excited about all the attention and singing, I heard him exclaim, "So long four, hello five!"

Hello, indeed.