how to make a kid's day

step one:

invite two dear friends over for an entire day of pizza and wii.

step two:

birthday brownies instead of cake, because the kid doesn't like cake.

step three:

while kid is along for the ride whilst daddy takes friends home, rush to the garage, remove hunormous box from within a hunormouser mailing box and rush it to kid's room. then hide under bunk bed and await his return.

for 25 minutes.

step four:

daughter runs back and forth from top bunk to dining room window, acting as look-out. finally she runs squealing to the room, up the ladder, and under covers, screeching, "henry's home! henry's home!! quiet!!!"

then waiting patiently for kid to appear in his doorway.

and when he does, you snap a shot of his face taking in the hunormous box. and not quite believing what he sees.

... but you can tell it's sinking in. see?

and then it's all over. he knows what's going on and yells to dad that, "no way!! the death star is here!!"

step five:

you then document, at kid's request, the massive amount of boxes inside the hunormous one.

as well as the 260 page manual that is "so huge it has to be spiral bound!!"

and you are appropriately impressed by the sheer number of mini figures.

and that's how you make a kid's day.

and your own.

Comments

[aud]

That picture of him hugging the box -- absolutely PRICELESS! I teared up a bit, and he's not even my kid! *lol*

[Helen]

I love the sequence of photos where you can just see the excitement of getting that present :)

[Houston]

Wow you are seriously great Mom! It's so cool that you hid under the bed and got all those great photos!

[Jen M]

OMG that is the most awesome star wars lego set ever!! Hope he enjoys it!! You'll have to let us know how long it takes to put together!!

[Kyong]

what an awesome moment you captured, michele! henry's face lit up like the sun!

[kimbermcgray]

holy crap!
so cool that you got photos of all of that reaction!
i'm still trying to visualize you under the bunk. ;)

[Sue Thomas]

Oh how perfect!!!!!!!!!!!