9 years old!

 You just turned 9 two days ago, can't believe it!  The Covid-19 pandemic is still going on, so we had to just celebrate at home, the three of us (Kevin now lives with Nana).  We started on 'birthday eve', with going to a butcher shop in Elk Grove Village to get steaks for dinner, then stopped at a couple of playgrounds for you to enjoy on the way home.  We also stopped at Barnes and Noble to pick up your birthday treat; you chose a chocolate chunk cookie.  You loved steak dinner that night, sans surprise.

On your actual birthday, you and I went to Mariano's to get donuts first thing in the morning.  After that, we came back, opened your presents, and you played with all of them right away (of course). There were 4: a snap circuits expansion, a gravitrax loop, a 3D cat lamp, and a 1000 piece domino set.  I made you a surprise with the dominoes--spelled out 'happy birthday' in cursive, which you loved.  I baked a cake for you...but when I went to frost it (a two layer round one), the frosting was too thick/heavy and it caused the cake to fall apart at the sides :( I was very upset, but determined to make you a dessert with the cat you had drawn as model for it, so I went for a pizza-sized chocolate chip cookie.  You had never had such, so you were skeptical, but you ended up loving it!  We didn't have that until the end of the day, though.

We went out for lunch at Wendy's, used one of the Frosty coupons Grandma Judy sent you (we got drive thru and ate at home).  You and dad played together while I baked the cookie after lunch. I had a lesson to do at 6pm, then a break at 7-8pm, during which we went to Georgio's to pick up a pizza (your choice for dinner :)). I did another lesson from 8-9; uncle Kevin called you during this time, and I overheard you telling him about how you were having an excellent birthday :D

Then we had your cookie for dessert.  The evening ended with you and dad taking a bath together, then we read some of the books at bedtime ("A Dog Named Grk" and "Two Dogs in a Trenchcoat Go On a Class Trip").  I hope we can make all your birthdays just as happy and great as this one.  Love you lots, mom.