Birthdays

Yes, there have been many birthdays around these parts that I haven't posted about.  So - beginning to catch up and so ya get an April birthday post.  In fact, everyone except for Mike is due a belated birthday post. And that's especially funny since he is perpetually trying to convince the kids that it's his birthday every month, if not every week. 

So - first up, JM!

And what better way to start off your 4th birthday than with a trip to Big Daddy's Donuts!  Woo-hoo! 

And the day only got better!  Look who arrived for the celebration:

(with J and Mimi, too).  It worked out wonderfully that two of the Wrabls were in town and could come over with Mimi to the party.  We put Mimi to work right away, baking the cake with JM (who is wearing "his" apron - one of the ones Grandma passed down to the kids).  When I was growing up, it was always specifically not allowed for the birthday person to be involved in the baking/icing of the cake. In our house, we seemed to have reversed that - the birthday kiddo always wants to bake, ice and decorate his/her own cake. 

And since I did most of the icing on this cake, JM took on candle duty:

And Clara would be upset if I didn't mention that the Thomas on top of the cake is HERS.  I had much more elaborate ideas for the cake, but looking at the railroad tracks I layed down, I think it's good I took the simple approach.  But I did really love the cake that had an extra half layer that they decorated as a tunnel and had Thomas coming out of that!  Maybe when he's 14 and I have had lots more time to practice.

At present time, JM had lots of help.  Thankfully, there wasn't too much fighting with his sis!  They managed to work almost everything out.  That's one of the best things about the kids getting older, we don't have to constantly intervene.  Especially when we are in the car, I have found that if I can just stand listening to the arguing for a little bit, a resolution will usually rise up out of it all.  And it's usually nothing like what I would have suggested.  In fact, when I might have suggested that somebody share a toy or play with a sibling for a few minutes, they might promise to do something for an hour or half a day, etc.  Of course, lots of times my patience doesn't last and I step in and draw the line!  I'm waiting for the invention of the chauffeur window divider that works in a family car at the press of a button - there's a million/billion? dollar invention. 

So we had a grand day celebrating JM turning 4.  He still wasn't quite sure about counting to four (we can do that now!) and it definitely took a few weeks (months?) of practicing holding up four fingers.  We had just managed to learn three a month or so before he turned 4.  This is what happens to the 3rd child when Mommy doesn't take as much time to teach these things!  But that's okay, JM might not have had time to learn them - he is so busy with his trains, his Dogtown stories (imaginary place that all of this dog friends - Barbar, Biscuit, Brown, Pal, Ollie, Ripa, etc. live and of course, drive trains), and zooming around on his plasma car or scooter.  Happy Birthday, JM!  May you always enjoy life so much and have such passion (trains!), Little Man.