Minnesota Prairie Roots

I OCCASIONALLY CALL HIM “darling Everett.” His parents sometimes call him “Sweet Pea.” He is my grandson Everett, who recently turned one and whose birthday we celebrated in Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

For one day, he was also “The Boss Baby.” That 2017 movie themed Everett’s party with watching the film a prerequisite for party-goers. Everett likely could have cared less whether he was a birthday boss. He did, however, look adorable in his upper management tuxedo style onesie worn for photos only. The size two suit was too small and couldn’t be bottom snapped onto his nearly 30-pound lengthy body. So off it came shortly after the party began.

Everett has been above average in size since birth. His wide chest and 10-pound birth weight complicated his delivery with my daughter nearly dying due to severe postpartum hemorrhaging that required three units of blood. So, yes, this party brought back memories of Everett’s difficult birth and how thankful we all are that his mama survived.

Here was this beautiful baby boy a year later strapped into his high chair fisting a thin slice of a custom made Boss Baby three-layer cake, all eyes on him. As we—parents, maternal grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins and a family friend—gathered round to sing “Happy birthday,” Everett took it all in. And I felt the love that comes with celebrating someone you love deeply and widely.

I know I am biased as Everett’s grandma. But he is one cute baby with a head full of blonde curls. He was born with dark, straight hair. In the past year, this one-year-old has grown and changed so much, as babies do. Everett began walking on his birthday and by party day moved with confidence. His new-found skill brought many a smile.

It was a joy-filled afternoon for all nine of us gathered on a cold January afternoon in eastern Wisconsin to celebrate Everett. We laughed, took lots of photos of the birthday boy while he ate his cake and sort of opened gifts. We played Everett BINGO, a customized game that tested our knowledge of the birthday boy. He could have been a Felix or a Cora. Ceiling fans once mesmerized him. His favorite Pokemon is Pikachu, according to his two young Minnesota cousins.

These are the memories I hold now of my grandson’s first birthday party, the memories I carried back to my southern Minnesota home a four-hour drive away. I miss Everett already. I also missed out on holding and cuddling him because he would have none of that. From anyone. He’s become a mama and daddy’s boy in the presence of anyone mostly unfamiliar to him, dear family or not. That was hard on me. I wanted to scoop Everett into my arms, hold him, read to him, do all those things grandmas do with their grandbabies. I recognize this as a phase because Everett’s mama was the same way at this age.

For now I hope frequent video calls will grow Everett’s trust of me. His oldest cousin Izzy, 9, has an even better idea: Move closer to family. If only The Boss Baby would make an executive decision to relocate hundreds of miles west to Minnesota. Or at least far western Wisconsin. The Minnesota division of his company would appreciate that immensely, thank you.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling