One Mr. Elijah Rain has a birthday coming up and a big one at that! Can he really be turning five already???? HOW CAN THAT POSSIBLY BE???? His birthday is not for another month and a half yet, but I’m starting to make plans and work out some of the details.

Steve picked up our present for him on his way home from work tonight. For months now I’ve been thinking about getting him a trampoline. They are supposed to be wonderful for sensory integration issues, which Iain has to a large degree and Elijah has to a lesser degree. Bouncing is also supposed to help with draining out swollen lymph nodes, which Elijah has had for several months now (yes, we’ve had them checked with two doctors who both believe them to be innocent). And a trampoline would just be great for getting out lots of energy and having a way fun time. At some point I decided that it would be the perfect gift for Elijah’s birthday. There were two problems with this plan. Number one, trampolines tend to be expensive. Problem number two, trampolines tend to reek. Still, I thought that we could probably find a small one and at least it would be outside. Then a couple of weeks ago I came across a listing on Craig’s list. For a trampoline. A great big one. About 3 years old. Well aired. With new springs and a winter cover. For dirt cheap. And it was still available. Score!!! So, Steve went and checked it out and it was decided that once the snow melted a bit he would go pick it up. Right now it’s stashed in a bedroom in the old house, just waiting for May 15th to come along.

Meanwhile, I’ve been busy thinking about presents from other people. I kind of have a habit of picking out everyone’s presents for the kids, not just the ones from Steve and I. A bit controlling perhaps, but what can I say?

Since no one has there own rooms here, I’ve been trying to think of a way to give each child a small space all their own. Elijah absolutely adores birds. I wanted to get some bird themed art work for his little area. Originally, I was thinking some of the John James Audubon watercolors, maybe in a robin’s egg blue frame. We have a huge coffee table book of them out from the library right now.

The thing is as I was looking at them all I noticed something strange. All the birds look really sad. I don’t mean that they don’t look like happy cartoon characters either. I’m comparing them to the beautiful birds that I watch up close everyday. There is just something not quite right about the eyes of his watercolors. Of course I just recently figured out that he shot most of the birds before painting them, which could very well explain things…

After a bunch of searching on Ebay, I decided to try going in another direction. I headed over to Etsy . I love Etsy. I could spend all day there. If we had any money, I could spent it all there. Love. It.

Also from BirdNerd and the one I’m currently leaning towards…

Okay, so I love the Linocuts too…

Hmm… a touch of whimsy from mistyisle?

Or possibly a bird inspired collage by Thomsondesign’s?

At this point I am seriously considering telling everyone to just buy him bird prints and doing a whole wall for him!