Last week during a chilly walk home from school, Ben informed me that today would be the shared birthday for two of his little stuffed animals, Cubby and Beary. His adorable declaration reminded me of a similar celebration Vivian requested more than four years ago: a Hello Kitty Birthday. His request was earnest and enthusiastic so OF COURSE we had to plan a party!

This afternoon, while the big kids were in school and the twins napped, Ben and I got to work. The first task: make a homemade cake. Ben wanted poppy seed bread, a pretty regular after school snack in our house. But, when you tie it in to a stuffed animal birthday it suddenly feels quite festive!

While the loaves baked in the oven, we worked on decorations. A simple “Happy Birthday” banner kept us busy on the kitchen floor, and also gave Ben a chance to work on his letters. He was very focused on making each letter look nice.

We lined the letters up, taped them to a string, and hung it in our dining room where everyone would see it.

We served the cake after dinner. I didn’t have any birthday candles in the pantry, so a jumbo pillar candle had to do the job. But, no one cared. We all happily sang “Happy Birthday” (with Vivian adding in “cha cha cha!”), and the twins could not have been more delighted with the whole event. It was a fun and silly celebration that gave the eight of us something memorable to do on an otherwise ordinary Monday night.