The youngest member of the clan turned one on Friday. Saturday a big party was held to celebrate the occasion. As I started calling him Bug-a-boo, which for me changed to simply "Boo" or "Baby Boo" and to "Bug" for his Mom; the theme of the party was bugs. The (gluten-free) cake was decorated in bug-style, and a bug hunt (for toy bugs) was the party activity for the kiddies.
Beautiful S-I-L outdid herself, demonstrating her extreme cake decorating talents.
Underlying the theme of bugs is a more far-ranging life style in which the children have been taught to practice "catch and release" of indoor bugs to the great outdoors, keeping the home chemical-free; and that "Bug" was a surprise pregnancy and reward and vindication for living chemical and gluten-free. During the process of conception of the IVF older twin brothers of Boo, S-I-L's long-standing irritable bowel syndrome was actually determined to be gluten-intolerance. Two years of gluten-free living and a chance for internal abdominal structures to repair themselves rewarded my S-I-L with a big surprise.
"BOO!"
