Jack's 4th Birthday -- A Construction Party

A theme had been settled on for Jack's 4th birthday a long time ago ... he has had an interest and love of construction vehicles for a while now and we knew that it would be fun to base a party around that. To kick off the couple of weeks leading up to the big celebration, we made a birthday countdown for refrigerator.

I printed off some construction vehicles online and then cut them out for Jack.  It was then his job to use a glue stick each night and glue one of them (whichever one he wanted!) onto the paper.

He chose a crane for the first one ...

He loved this so much and now the countdown is hanging in his bedroom so that he can admire the vehicles anytime he wants.

All set up and ready to go ...

The birthday boy, excited for the guests to arrive:

For weeks, he talked about the construction cake that he wanted me to make for him.  I worked on it the morning of his party while he was outside playing.  When he came inside and saw the finished product, he just beamed from ear to ear ... especially when I told him that he would get to have all of the mini construction vehicles afterwards to add to his collection.

This was the easiest cake ever for me to make -- spread some frosting, pulverize from oreos, graham crackers and chocolate chip cookies, throw in a few chocolate-covered raisins and ... done!

I couldn't resist this shirt for him, as I know that he will be wearing it quite often!

A remote-controlled truck from Grandpa!

Happy to blow out those FOUR candles!

Happy Birthday to Jack!

Jack's 4th birthday fell on a Wednesday this year; a school day for the girls, but not for him.  So, we quickly had our traditional morning breakfast consisting of cinnamon rolls with a candle and sang 'happy birthday' to him before the girls got on the bus.  I added some mini donuts and applesauce in as a bonus.

Sophia was smiling so big that you would think that we were celebrating her birthday!

Big wishes!

For dinner, Jack chose to go to Culver's (one of our favorite places), so Steve met us there after work.  (Right before, I had taken all of the kids with me for Samantha's dentist appointment and it made more sense for Steve to meet us there rather than to come home and have to leave again).

We came home immediately after so that Jack could open his gifts from us.  He was so happy with each and every item that we chosen and wrapped for him

These two ... they can fight like cats and dogs, but mostly they play so well together and just plain love each other.

We framed a picture of Jack's first bike crash for him so that he can put it in his room.  He loved it!

After gifts, there were TWO things that Jack wanted to do to finish out his day of celebrating:

1.  mow the lawn

2.  go for a ride on the 4-wheeler

Steve made sure that both of those things happened (such a full evening!) and still made it inside in time for a bath and pajamas.  And then?  Jack insisted on modeling his new bike helmet that he got from us for his birthday.  He has been riding without training wheels (!!!!!) for a few weeks now and we wanted to make sure that he had a safety helmet for riding around now.

The next day, he took treats in for his friends at school.  He chose brownies and I surprised him by adding gummy frogs to the top.  They were quite a hit!

Mother's Day 2017

My crew and I celebrated Mother's Day this year in what is starting to become a tradition for us.  Steve made us breakfast (pancakes and eggs) and then I opened my cards and gifts.  There were some homemade items that the kids had crafted in school (those are so dear to my heart and are tucked safely away in their memory boxes now), along with some peanut M&Ms (my favorite candy ever!), a bottle of my favorite wine and a gift certificate for a pedicure.  I was truly spoiled!

Then for dinner later that afternoon -- I didn't have to cook -- we went to Relli's in Dewitt.  We met Steve's dad there and had a great meal ...  I had the spaghetti (another favorite of mine) and ended up with leftovers for the next day for lunch.  Another win for me!

The day before, we visited my mom and took her lots of special goodies ... homemade cards and cookies, a potted assortment of succulents (her favorite!), fresh-picked lilacs and a joint gift with my brother -- a bluetooth wireless speaker that she can use in her house to play music.  Growing up, my mom was always playing music and these days, it seems so quiet in there.  We set it up for her and she began using it immediately. 

Fresh-picked lilacs:

Working on his card for Grammy:

The finished product:

He did his own "signature" inside with extra embellishments:

James is Fifteen Months Old

James is 15 months old and has transitioned into what I affectionately refer to as a "toddler tornado." He is constantly on the go, mostly crawling still, with short walking (+/- 10 steps) distances .  He goes from one forbidden activity to the next and keeps me completely on my toes and often cleaning up messes or putting things back together as I follow closely behind him. 

Jack was a challenge as we moved from parents of girls to parents of a BOY, but James is certainly exceeding the challenge level that Jack brought to us.  My little boy that was so adaptable and went with the flow (4th child) is now pushing limits and does it with such ease.  There is nothing malicious about him though; it's more curiosity than anything.

Getting into the (messy/staining/greasy/difficult to clean up) cocoa powder from the baking cupboard:

Honestly, it was an epic mess to clean up.  James had to be placed in the tub immediately (and then supervised while he was in there), leaving me no time to sweep/vacuum and wash the floor until he was out of the tub and dressed.  The boys were hungry for lunch and my prep area was right where the mess was.  His clothes had to be rinsed thoroughly before washing and the rug had to be washed, as well.  Ugh.

Oh, and this incident was mere days after he got into some paint in the girls' room (one of his favorite locations to escape to) and proceeded to drag it through the hallway upstairs when I called for him to come to me.  Thank goodness for good-quality rug cleaners.

James has completely mastered any stairs now.  He knows how to go both UP and DOWN them.  That means that the bench has been moved back to its original position by the front door; instead of blocking the stairs.  He prefers to slide down on his belly -- so quickly -- just like Jack did. 

He took his first steps on April 24, 2017, just two weeks shy of turning 15 months.  Both him and Sam were my "early" walkers.  Jack walked at 16 months and Sophia didn't walk until 17 months.  I am excited to see him continue to take more and more steps, and gain confidence too, because it will make for an easier summer for us.  He won't be crawling though the grass or the sand; I can just let him walk around outside and have a little more freedom.

He can almost get on his turtle by himself, hoisting his leg over the top and then sitting on it.  He's pretty proud of that little feat.

We've made grand strides in the eating department this last month too.  He self-feeds on most anything (unless I deem it to be too messy).  He has all of his teeth now, but two of them.  The two-year old molars are not in yet either, of course.

He uses a fork perfectly (no spoon yet).

And finally holds his own sippee cup.  That one took him a long time, for some reason.

He easily drinks 30-40 oz of organic whole milk per day and I am making sure that he gets some extra water in there too, especially with the warmer weather coming. 

Oh, and apples!  He loves them.  And he loves them even more when I let him eat them whole.  Skin and all.  (I have to stop him before he tries to eat the core and seeds, of course).

His hair continues to stay very blonde (Jack's, Sophia's and Steve's were all blonde too at this age).  It is getting slightly wispy at the back and a few spikes are forming on the top.  I am wondering if it will be curly like Jack's was ... only time will tell.

Jack and him and the best of friends still and Jack often asks to take a bath with him each night.  Sometimes I encourage a shower with Jack (because it is quicker and Momma is tired), but on the nights that they bathe together, it is the most adorable thing.

Jimmy still takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap and is in bed by 8 pm every night (sometimes a little earlier).  He is the first one to get put down and then we make our rounds tucking Jack in downstairs and the girls in upstairs.  Jimmy typically sleeps until about 7:30 am.

And when he sleeps, he sucks his thumb.

He doesn't use very many words right now and certainly none on purpose, only when prompted.   I have no concerns about his limited vocabulary at all because he does follow directions very well and takes directives.  He can also "give you five" and clap. 

I would say that he is very similar in size to Jack, but he is not scheduled to head to the doctor until July for his next check-up.  By then, his vocabulary should be growing and he will definitely be walking.  This summer is going to be so much fun with him!

He's All Boy ...

Jack's 4th birthday is coming up soon and I find myself reflecting on my life as a boy's mom.  Jack is "all boy;" he lives to play in the dirt, ride any-and-all types of vehicles and use grown-up 'man' tools each and every chance that he gets.  He is up by 6 am every morning, eats breakfast, gets dressed and is outside before most everyone else is even climbing out of bed. 

He is forever doing work ... no job is too big; no item is too heavy and no distance is too far.  He knows his boundaries and never ventures out of the yard unless he is with an adult, which makes me feel very comfortable.  I can call out the window to him and he answers immediately.  I can give him a 5- or 10-minute warning before naptime, or before we leave, and he follows though.

Sometimes I forget that he is still three years old. 

Learning to snow-blow the driveway this last winter (Steve was close-by):

Using his own wheelbarrow that he got from Papa and Grammy to gather wood for a fire:

Collecting branches in the yard to take back into the woods:

Assisting his dad to build a loft in the garage:

He knows every tool by name and their function:

Pounding nails in extra scraps of wood (and NOT using the saw the next to him):

Playing in the dirt outside, by the side of the garage:

He spent unlimited hours out here one week:

I walked outside to check on him one day and found him hard at work detailing his trucks:

Helping Steve dig a trench to bury drain hosing:

He is like a machine ... never stopping.

I smile to myself a lot though because, even with all of his boy tendencies, I still have a tenderhearted. kind little boy there that loves his mom fiercely and would never intentionally try to hurt anyone's feelings.  He loves his sisters (and looks up to them) and plays so sweetly with his little brother.  I couldn't ask for a better boy to raise.

2017 Dance Recital

This year, the girls each took three dance classes.  Samantha and Sophia were in tap and acro together and then Samantha was in hip-hop and Sophia was in ballet.  It made for a busy two nights of dance and lots of shuffling back and forth, but it was worth it to see how excited they were on the day of the recital ... and how well they did in all of the dances!

Waiting in the hall to perform their acro routine:

Their favorite part of the routine ... which they nailed perfectly:

Hip-Hop (Sam loved this dance and technique):

There were only three girls in this tap routine and they absolutely nailed it!

Ready to go for her ballet, Cinderella dance:

On the stage!