Happy Birthday to Caleb RongBo Schmitz!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Caleb experienced his first birthday, American style.  I'm guessing it was probably the most excess that he's seen, especially in his honor.

His birthday is actually April 28th, but we had the party a week early to accommodate some schedules.  We were visited by G'ma & G'pa Bushman, G'ma Schmitz, Aunt Molly, Aunt Doris & Uncle Frank, Aunt Dianne with three little ones in tow, Samuel, Jonah, and Zoe.  Also, due to some VERY late invites (about 10 minutes before eating...), our neighbors Mike and Diane showed up for a bit too.

Oh, Mom, Dad & Robby were in attendance also...

Caleb was receiving a "talking" Mickey Mouse book from Sam and Jonah here. They, Sam especially, were not quite ready to give it up. Caleb watched for a while, waiting for his moment, and then squatted down in an attempt to snatch the book away.

This is Sam & Jonah giving Big C the cards that they made for him.

Robby had been captured by zombies and assimilated...

Marvin McNutt receiving a new t-shirt with a bulldozer on it.  He likes his decorated shirts. A lot!

This particular decorated shirt was the big hit though. You can't go wrong with Mickey Mouse in Caleb's eyes!

A view master with some of the aforementioned rodent.  Another big hit.

Some books from Aunt Molly. 

I took this picture but I cannot remember or tell from the photo what it is...  It appears as if there was perhaps a small piece of tape on it yet or a bent corner that likely frazzled the boy, kinda like his daddy.

I believe this is big brother Robby teaching Calebber how to successfully change the view master cards. Jonah stands in awe of Rob's view master savvy ways.

Jonah lighting up a glass a kool-aid... and the front of his shirt.

Uncle Frank has a couple of monkeys on his back...

Robby and Caleb cannot figure out why S & J have plates of food and they do not!  Oh the agony!  Oh the misfortune! Oh the unfairness of it all!  Woe! Woe!

Here's the exploding Mickey Mouse cake made by Grandma Marlene.  The boys were all sitting around the little table until we lit the sparklers!  They took that as a sign of impending doom and headed for the hills!  Good stuff!

The proud (and stinkin' cute...) birthday boy with his cake.

Later on in the afternoon, the boys wanted to go outside and play. Robby likes to use the swingset as a pirate ship where he cannot touch the ground as it is "shark infested waters".  Caleb wanted to get on the pirate ship to have his photo taken with his big bro.

Caleb and Jonah doing a little teeter-totter action.

That's about all she wrote, as they say.  Today, April 28th is his birthday.  Next Friday, May 4th is his palate surgery.  

And I've finally realized that I've been spelling palate wrong this whole time.  I've been spelling it palette instead of palate.  I wish that he were a fan of painting and indeed had a defective palette... much easier to fix.  But indeed, it is his palate that will be repaired.  I couldn't help but notice all of the emails flyin' (none...) to tell me that I had it wrong!  Poor little maroon. What a nincowpoop...