Represent

Even though we had celebrated with the relatives from NH, who had visited over the weekend, we still had to have an official cake on his 'real' eighth birthday. It was after dinner, took no more than a few minutes. Sing the song, blow out the big Number Eight candle. Open a few presents. Take the picture. It's officially a birthday celebration.

We even threw in a neighbor boy to the mix, just to spice things up a bit.

But when I finally uploaded the picture I noticed something. It is something that missed my attention on the day of, but was so evident in the photograph, three days later.

Each of my kids has a shirt on that represents a different part of the country that matters to us.

Daughter has the University of Albany, representing our nearest big city.

Big Boy has on his favorite "Altaholics" shirt, reminding him of the perfect snow we found every weekend when we lived in Utah and skied at Alta.

Middle Boy proudly wears his New York Giants/New England Patriots Super Bowl shirt, representing when our new 'home' team played the team all the relatives in NH (including Hubby) rooted for on that big day last February.

And Baby Boy brings us all back to the beginning. All four children were born in Missouri. Two at the University of Missouri Hospital and two a few hours south of there, in Springfield. The Mizzou sweatshirt is a handmedown from MU alumni relatives in Dallas who still call Mizzou their home team.

I have no idea what neighbor boy is wearing. Maybe next time I'll throw a hat from D.C. or a sweatshirt from NH his way. I'd hate to make him feel so left out again.