Little Man and the Birthday





We have a birthday tradition in our family of tying a big bunch of bright balloons on the birthday child's chair and leaving a special small gift at their breakfast plate.  When they wake up and come upstairs to the dining room, they get so excited to see the balloons and gift, and it just sets the tone for the whole fun day.

 The Spud's fourth birthday was a couple of weeks ago.  On the morning of his special day, I set about making pancakes for the crew.  The Drama Queen came into the kitchen and casually commented, "Hey, I guess it isn't his birthday today after all.  There aren't any balloons on his chair."  My heart dropped.  How had I completely forgotten our birthday tradition?  The Nerd hadn't yet left for work, and he overheard her comment.  He disappeared into the bedroom and came out a short while later with a wrapped gift.  "Hey, buddy, we forgot to put this by your plate this morning," he said as he handed it over to an excited Spud.  I mouthed a quick "thank-you" and quickly turned my attention back to the pancakes.  It really wasn't a big deal in itself.
It's just that - poor Spud always seems to get the short end of the stick, especially when it comes to birthdays.  One birthday we only got him one gift - a Cozy Coupe (used, no less).  Apparently we have a tendency to get back on the "get-out-of-debt" wagon during the summer, and it affects poor Spud's birthdays.  Of course, he is the kind of kid that gets a lot of joy (and a lot of mileage!) out of toys, and he never seemed bothered by it.

 This year, we were determined to make it better.  I failed on the balloons front, but we managed to have a fun dinner out that night and spoiled him with lots of gifts, mostly Thomas the Tank Engine in nature.  It wasn't his year for a birthday party, but we surprised him with a trip to Shady Dell Miniature Trains later that week. 

 It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, and all the kids were excited to ride the trains at Shady Dell.  Every time I looked at Spud that afternoon, he was grinning from ear to ear.  It was definitely the best way to celebrate his special day.

 I can't believe my little man is four years old.  He is the most stubborn and yet the sweetest little guy.  I count myself so privileged to spend time with him every day and to be his momma.  Often, he will surprise me with a fierce hug and kiss;  the next moment he is running away and shouting no. 
He is passionate about his cars and trains.  I will help him get his tracks all set up early in the morning, and he will drive his trains and cars around for hours on end.  He adores his big brother and sister and usually gives in to what they want. 

He fits perfectly into our family.  I  know that tomorrow morning, he will be the first to greet me with a sleepy hello and a request for cereal.  I absolutely adore him.  Happy birthday, sweet Spud!

Train Fever

What is it about little boys and trains? Honestly, the Beast never really seemed to care about trains, but our Spud seems to have been born with a toy train in his hand. He is THAT obsessed. He does love him some Thomas and Friends, but he is perfectly willing to play with generic trains too. Spud will take quite a bit of time to set up his tracks in the morning and then spend hours driving his trains endlessly around the track. Whatever pull those trains have on the little guy, I want in on their secret. If he paid half as much attention to me as he did those trains, I would be Mother of the Year!

Anyway, when we found out a train show would be in Portland a few weeks ago, we (the Nerd) thought it would be a fun event for the kids. (That's because he read the ticket information that said kids were FREE!) Adults were ten dollars each, and they lured you in with promises that all kids would get to ride Thomas the Tank Engine.

Most of the rest of the show was run by guys who are a little too into their trains, if you know what I mean. They are the kind that search and search for the perfect tree replica to put in a special spot in their train set-up in their house. Still, my little man was bursting at the seams with excitement at all the trains!

Not only did several very kind vendors let him "operate" their trains, but he also spent some time in a play area playing with Thomas trains and lots and lots of plastic tracks. Pretty much the same thing he could have done at home, except at home we don't have a hot dog vendor standing nearby tempting kids with his $4 hot dogs and sodas.

There was a giant Lego city set up in the middle of the show. The Beast was especially enamored with the pirate ship and kept sneaking under the rope to "get a better look." The guys who had spent over fourteen hours building the city were having mini panic attacks at this threat to their handiwork. I did my best to keep my extremely over-stimulated Beast from doing any damage.

We were able to get in the line early to ride Thomas the Tank Engine. Spud's eyes were wide at the fact that we were getting to see the "real Thomas." The Beast was in awe of the steam that came out of Thomas' smoke stack. All of us were a little underwhelmed at the very short and uneventful ride the kids got.

I still don't get why trains have such a magnetic appeal for my son. Seeing his face light up at the show, though, was worth stopping at every. single. booth. to look at the trains. And then, when the Nerd decided to take them on a ride on a "real train" (i.e. the Metro downtown), the kids' reactions were priceless. Totally worth the ticket money and outrageous downtown parking fees!

Three Already

Oh my sweet little man, tomorrow you turn all of three years old. It seems that just in the past few weeks you have grown up so much. You are becoming quite the potty pro and such a helper to your momma. :) It has been so much joy to be your momma and to celebrate this special birthday with you this weekend.

You requested mac'n'cheese and hamburgers for your birthday dinner, but you were way too excited about your presents to eat a single bite. Apparently your brother and sister were pretty excited too!

I knew you would be getting plenty of cake the next day at your monkey party; so we decided on a cookie pizza for our family celebration. You probably poked at the frosting at least a dozen times before dinner, with the excuse that you "were just looking at your cool cake." Your brother beat you to blowing out the candles, but I wasn't about to let you miss your moment. I made your daddy relight them so you could do it yourself, and you did it in one glorious breath.

The wrapping paper excited you just as much as what was inside. It probably helped that your brother and sister kept chanting, "Open it! Open it!"

The pirate ship was a big hit - not only with you but with your brother and sister as well. I guess you'll have to learn how to share it. :)

And Grandma and Grandpa knew just what to get our growing little man - a big boy bike (in a Cars theme of course!)

And apparently we can never go wrong with Thomas. You immediately begged to have your new track sets put together so you could spend some time pushing your favorite trains around the tracks. You didn't even want to stop so you could go over to grandma and grandpa's house for a sleepover.

I guess I can't stop you from getting older. But amid all the grown-up things you are trying to do, I still see bits and pieces of my little boy, patiently playing with his trains or snuggling up with Momma to watch a favorite Veggie Tales.

I love you, Spud! Happy Happy birthday to you!

Wordless Wednesday - Goodbye October

Can't resist showing off some pictures of my little cuties before their sugar high:

Our little kitty cat sat very patiently while I painted her face.

The kitty also requested a "really really twirly skirt" so I obliged by making one using this tutorial. The Beast was found flexing his Spidey muscles often while wearing his costume. He refused to wear the mask to Fall Festival, but since then has worn it every day. Silly guy!

The Spud made a very charming and adorable Thomas the Tank Engine!

We all had a wonderful time and brought home way too much candy. Farewell, October! We will miss your sugary goodness and happy happy pumpkins!