Friday, March 16, 2012

two days of digging for a dino

One of the gifts P received for his birthday was a kit to dig a dinosaur skeleton out of a block of tiny pebbles.  He was eager to get outside last Thursday and start working on it.  He graciously went downstairs and grabbed the safety goggles that came with the workbench the boys got for Christmas for his brother (the kit came with one set of protective eyewear) so he and C could safely dig simultaneously.



I enjoyed watching the boys work on their archaeology assignment together.  They chiseled and brushed and had tons of fun.  Eventually C deserted for the swings, but P hammered away.


Friday afternoon P was back at work.  I think one of his favorite things about this toy is getting to use "real tools".  He has been incredibly dedicated and patient.  He chips away at the rocks for sometimes over an hour in one sitting!  We are still working on getting our dinosaur friend loose (we haven't freed any of his pieces yet), but P is nowhere near ready to give up.



I'll post pictures once we've freed our T-Rex and put his pieces together!

Tumblemania!

P requested his birthday party be at Tumblemania Gymnastics again this year, since he had such a blast last year.  As soon as the boys were in the gym and had their shoes and socks off, they were on the floor showing us some of their "moves".


C was a bit tentative about using the springboard at first, but he eagerly found other ways to get into the foam pit.  :)


P took some time to relax with his friend, Morgan.  P and Morgan have big plans, people.  When they grow up, they are going to get married and have six kids.  P will have two jobs - being a train driver and a daddy - and Morgan will be a mommy, and have another job, too, if she wants it.  At first, she was going to be "a churchmaster like Dad", but now P tells me that "Morgan gets to pick her own job".  P is quite the forward thinker.  And I have to give him props for realizing that being a daddy is a job.  He has a great role model in Daddy A.


P had a second "Hot Wheels" cake at his party.  (Grandma Hen and I made this one while he was at dance class Saturday morning.)

Before his guests left, we snapped a photo of all of the partygoers in the foam pit together!


P and C had so much fun at the party that they convinced Grandma Paige to sign them up for gymnastics classes.  So far, they've really enjoyed them, including the "homework" that Coach K gave them!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

P's birthday weekend

We were blessed to have both sets of the boys' grandparents come and visit over P's birthday weekend.  There's no way I could describe all of the fun we had in a blog post, but here are some of the highlights:

Grandma Hen made a dinosaur costume for P's dance recital this year, and C requested a Peter Pan costume.  He was beyond thrilled to receive his costume, and wore it all over the house.


My budding thespian didn't stop with the outfit, either.  He would run up to us and say, "Where's my shadow?" in this panicked voice... it was adorable!


P received a "tiny Lego" set from Aunt Tiffany and Uncle John for his birthday.  He wanted to stop everything (even present opening) and get to building right away.  P is becoming a master builder - he can follow the directions to build several different things, and is super creative when he builds things from his imagination!


C spent his mornings making coffee and shaving with Poppa Fred.  He's still "making coffee" in the dramatic play center at school!


As you can see, C was able to come up to school and have cupcakes with P and his classmates.


Friday night (P's actual birthday), P celebrated with a Hot Wheels cake for dessert after a spaghetti dinner (no sauce for my picky eater) at home with all four of his grandparents!


P said that his birthday was "so fun" and he "loved it so much"!

Yum!

My mom and P made some chocolate "nests" filled with Mini Eggs while she was here visiting.  My oldest LOVES his chocolate... a boy after his mama's heart!


Chuck E. Cheese

While Grandma Paige and Poppa Fred were in Mo-town for P's birthday, we let him leave school a bit early on Thursday for a trip to the House of Mouse.  While I wouldn't want to become a regular visitor at Chuck E. Cheese, the occasional trip is a special treat for P and C.

C is still not quite sure about the ticket and prize system, but he enjoys the games and the play area.


And as you can see from this picture, P definitely grasps now that earning tickets from playing games is a positive event!


Of course, both of the boys enjoyed picking out their prizes before we left for the day, and they are still talking about their trip to Chuck E. Cheese with their grandparents!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Happy 5th birthday, P!

I can't believe that P is five years old today!  Five seems like such a milestone... it's almost time for kindergarten!  P is such a blessing in our lives and a special gift from God.  It seems like this was yesterday...


I couldn't resist putting this picture of my sister in here.  This was the first time she held P, and she was so nervous!  She did great, though.  She's such a good aunt - I couldn't imagine if she wasn't invloved in my kids' lives!


Although P is an extremely, ahem, picky eater, he doesn't have any trouble getting down sweets.  This picture from his first birthday shows what a breeze cake is for him.  :)


One of P's qualities that I especially love is his thoughtfulness.  He is always looking out for other people, and he's so compassionate!  This year he found out when his teachers' birthdays were and made cards for them.  Then he took them up to school and had the teacher whose birthday it wasn't help him make sure everyone in the class signed it for the birthday lady "as a a'prise".  He spent ages on his Valentines, making sure they were the perfect card and treat for each intended recipient.  Earlier this week he asked me if it was okay for him to ask his teacher if C could come up to school and have cupcakes with his class for his birthday celebration!  From the time C was born, P has loved watching out for C and being a big brother.  (Of course, he's also taught him the finer points of wrestling... both of them are all boy!)

P is intent on the task at hand and stays focused on his work.


P loves when hard work pays off (as he should!).  He was so excited when he received this trophy after his dance recital last May.


P can often be seen wearing this "cheese face" and loving life!

We love you, P!  Happy 5th birthday, sweet boy!