Has it really been a year already?

After committing the requisite birthday carnage by tearing up newspaper wrapping and devoring the most sugar he's ever experienced in one sitting, the little guy is asleep. It was a really fun birthday. I'm patting myself on the back for picking great presents, because Grandma had to lure him away from the new toys by showing him his cupcake, which she just may have let him sample early.

He got a pumpkin spice cake, with cream cheese frosting, and he did his best to lick his tray clean. And this was right after dinner, where he expressed disdain for every offering. Apparently he recognized that there was birthday cake coming soon.

This video is pretty much only for diehard Grant fans, who won't be too horrified by the family rendition of "Happy Birthday."

Darren got him a remote control car, which was initially frightening. But Darren showed him how to work the controls, and now he thinks it is pretty fun. He also got a wooden train, with lots of little pieces to put on and off, which is one of his favorite things right now. And some rubber balls. The video is a little long, but it's worth it to watch him play. Although it's hard to hear his squeals over our laughter.

He's changed so much!

I love one-year-olds! So much fun.

And yes, his birthday actually was yesterday. I had a concert. ("Ode to Joy", it was awesome). So we abandoned Grant to a babysitter on his first birthday. But he convinced her that he should get to stay up late, because it was his birthday after all. So they partied until 10:30. And I'm pretty sure that I can get away with it, because he probably won't know until he is at least a teenager and reads this. And by then, he'll have plenty of other parenting failures to throw at me, so this will pale in comparison.