Pictures of 04.01.05 -- Ben's birthday Party

It was the first of April and I started out the door to meet Dr. North for lunch when there was a knock on the door and the baby ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0445 was settled for the photo ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0446 as mother Sanderson and grandmother Sanderson ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0447 posed for the family picture before I drove to Somerville for my curry ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0448 which shone better ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0449 with less light as did this curry ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0450 that Steve ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0451 ate. After lunch, I returned home where the party table ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0452 the party balloons ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0453 the party boy ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0454 the party chess game ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0455 the party boy's sister ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0456 and her friend ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0457 and the party boy's mother ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0458 were waiting for the guests to arrive.
First came Jeremy and Sam ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0459 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0460 who headed out with Ben to start the basketball game ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0461 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0462 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0463 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0464 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0465 which became part of the board game party. As I recorded the welcome window ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0466 I recalled previous Ben birthday's including
2004 and 2004 party
2003
and 2001 birthday and 2001 party
and 2000 with the sad observation that in 2002 my camera was broken and there was a shortage of new digital cameras.
at which point it was time to return to the basketball game ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0467 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0468 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0469 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0470 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0471 as Betsy and Bobby Sands ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0472 arrived and the game grew ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0473 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0474 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0475 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0476 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0477 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0478 though I took a break for a self portrait ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0479 as others arrived and played ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0480 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0481 and the recycling ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0482 rested and the cake (not a cake! but brownies) ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0483 was on display and Josephine ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0484 finished up as Ben Strauss ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0485 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0486 joined the game ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0487 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0488 for my artistic picture of the ball on stones ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0489 as a larger game ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0490 made room for Nate ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0491 who brought this card ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0492 and came with Hannah and Laura ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0493 The game continued ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0494 even as spectators arrived ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0495 and wondered whether to call fouls ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0496 but instead we brought people in for board games ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0497 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0498 as the shoes were neatly lined up ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0499 to Suzanne's amusement ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0500 as the monopoly phase of the party ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0501 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0502 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0503 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0504 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0505 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0506 progressed as Jane and John ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0507 drove off ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0508 to get the hoagies and Audrey ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0509 appeared to drop off Joel ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0510 so that the games ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0511 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0512 could continue even as Sarah arrived home and opened ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0513 and displayed ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0514 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0515 her Race for the Cure special edition shoes. After a few more rolls of the dice ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0516 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0517 the games were over and it was hoagie time ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0518 as the guests assembled around the table ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0519 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0520 and Sarah ate ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0521 while telling stories. The views around the table ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0522 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0523 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0524 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0525 amused Jane and her friends ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0526 as we took one last photo ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0527 and then set up the basketball under the lights game ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0528 before brining out the cake ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0529 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0530 ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0531 getting ready ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0532 blowing out the candles ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0533 and enjoying the decorations ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0534 as Ben got ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0535 and opened ../../../Sabbat/2005/04.01-04.05BensBday//IMG_0536 the one gift that would be relevant to the party. Afterwards, some watched the Incredibles and some played Apples to Apples. Being in the latter group, I gave up my role as photo journalist.