Happy Birthday, Shawn!

Here's the crew getting ready to help Daddy open his plethora of birthday presents (read: 2). They insisted that he tear into them, not open them normally. They love when he does that. It's a very Shawn thing. P.S. I did not request that Katy wear the wrapping paper on her head. Quite the opposite, in fact, I requested her to remove it. She refused. So here she is for posterity's sake, wearing it. I think I'll keep this one for those aggravating teenage years...

Meet the new 42-year-old, growling as he tears into present number one, a hot air popcorn popper. Yup, they still make 'em. Shawn doesn't like salt on his popcorn (what a weirdo) so he doesn't like microwave as much as stove-top. But frankly, he and the stove don't get along. Which means, of course, that I get to pop the corn for him. So, in the best interest of my time and sanity, and not necessarily in that order, I allowed him to ask for a popcorn popper for his birthday. Otherwise, it's all completely beneath me and I'm not afraid to admit it. I mean, really, Presto says it's, and I quote, "much more healthy than microwave popcorn" and "much less expensive" but them they had to make the lid to the popper a butter melter? I don't think so. Thankfully, they'll be no additional dishes to wash due to this popper, so again, I'll allow it. Just don't ask me to use it.

Handsome was so enchanted with the big colorful bow that he didn't pay any attention to Shawn's shenanigans (hey, I like that, Shawn's shenanigans, and he has lots of them....) even with the growling (Willie's favorite) and the paper flying. Moments after this shot, he stretched as far as he could across the present and ripped that pretty bow right off. But, he is handsome, so how could we not let him?

The party is over, the shenanigans done for the evening. Now we'll have cake. Ok, no cake. How bout a cup of M and M's with a candle in it. You betcha. That is more like it.