4

Well, he went and did it, folks.

My baby turned 4 yesterday!

Oh, I wish I could tell you how much I love this kid.

Two days ago he came into our room in the morning, and saw me wearing a red robe with a white t-shirt underneath.

He said, “Mama, your robe looks like a red blood cell!  And your shirt looks like a WHITE blood cell!”

He is truly one of a kind!

(first thing in the morning, birthday snuggles in bed with Mama while playing with his knight figurines!)

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I told him that he could choose anything he wanted for his birthday breakfast, including chocolate chip pancakes…

and he chose oatmeal and a glass of eggnog.

After breakfast, we took a trip to the pediatrician for a check up and for both boys to get flu shots!  Because nothing says “Happy Birthday!” like an inoculation!

Miraculously, neither boy cried!

I asked Joseph what he wanted to do next.  Perhaps a trip to the park?  And he chose…

Target to look at/play with toys!

I did let him pick out a Charlie Brown Christmas dvd  (shhh…I was planning on getting it anyway!) and some Target-brand ice cream sandwiches.

What’s next after Target, Joseph?

“Old” McDonalds for lunch!

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After a failed nap attempt by Joseph, some movies snuggled on the couch, and some cookie making that ended with me yelling (as usual) “Everyone out of the kitchen!!”  he requested for his birthday dinner…

Oatmeal and toast with slices of cheese on top!

(have I mentioned that I love this kid?)

When Brian got home, it was present time!

(Brian is eating his re-heated oatmeal.  Lucky boy!)

and the big present of the night- a Big Loader Construction Set!

 

It is suuuuper cool, and Joseph has told me several times today how much he loves it!

I can see one little problem, however…

Isaac.  Will.  Destroy.  It.

Joseph also didn’t want cupcakes this time around (we had lots of parties and cake in Oregon) so we made some cocoa crackle cookies instead!

(Bonus!  I don’t like them, so I will not end up eating 20 of them like I do with the cupcakes!)

We actually FORGOT to do this part last night!  We tucked the boys in bed, sighed, and were about to start Mad Men, when I remembered!  Gahh, the mom guilt!  So we got them back out of bed again!

(which maybe made it more fun for them than it would have been?) 

The cookies were not the best to stick candles in,

so Joseph ended up picking them up one by one as they fell over, and blowing them out that way.

 

It should be noted that this is the only time (out of 3 birthday gatherings) that he actually blew out the candles himself!

It should also be noted that Isaac has extremely chubby cheeks.

(Favorite picture ever.)

And that he looks nothing like his father. 

(aka the middle eastern/italian gentleman who adopted him)

 

Lastly, my traditional “at time of birth” birthday photo, a little early this year at 10:30 pm since 9:07 pm mountain time is 11:07 here…

And yes that is chocolate still on his face.

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This post is already huge, so a birthday-type video coming up next…

and a cocoa crackle cookie to anyone who made it through the whole thing!

See what happens when I don’t like something?  Generosity!

Trying

(Chocolate on his face is from Joseph’s ice cream sandwich that Isaac climbed onto the table and stole)

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Sure, it is Joseph’s birthday, but I need to take a moment to address the other little boy in this here apartment.

My dear Isaac.

21 months is a trying age and he is…how do a put it delicately…a firecracker.  A stinker.  Difficult.  Daring.  A teaser.  Naughty. 

TRYING. 

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Just yesterday’s trip to the store involved

him running away from me,

him knocking toys off the shelf so that he could stand on them and reach more toys,

him throwing boxes of Legos on the ground so that he could stand and jump off of them,

and then running away from me again into the kitchen section.

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I chased him down and stuck him in the basket part of the cart, only to have him

reach onto the shelves and throw everything that he could reach onto the ground,

throw everything from the inside of the cart onto the ground,

cover his ears (no need for him to suffer) and yell, “NOOO!!!  NAUGHTY!!!” and “TOOOO LOUD!!!”

Also, I had to say “sit down” with every breath I took.

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So, I karate chopped his mid-section (gently..ish) until he would sit in the seat portion of the cart where I could strap him in.

He proceeded to

Scream and cry,

take off his shoes repeatedly,

throw himself around so violently, within the constraints of the seatbelt, that it actually moved the cart closer to the wrapping paper (“BUGLE!” he cried with glee!) that he then yelled into (bugle style) and threw.

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Meanwhile I am huffing and puffing like a lamaze instructor while giving people apologetic smiles and saying things like “Haha.  One of those days!”  or “Excellent birth control!”

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But you see the other thing about Isaac is that he has these blue eyes that just sparkle with mischievousness.

plus a contagious smile, even when he is doing something naughty.

And boy does he love his Mama!

I know because he tells me,

and gives me looooong hugs,

and sloppy kisses.

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So I am trying to be more patient, and trying to be more consistent, and trying to be firm, and trying to find ways to distract him, and trying to find the joy in the sweaty-huffy-chase filled Target trips.

I’m trying.

Last Day of 3

 

 

This handsome devil

is turning 4 tomorrow!

Today was his last day as my three year old boy!!

I am really having a hard time swallowing “4.”  It just sounds so old!  So little-kid-ish instead of toddler-baby-ish. 

Also, do you know what comes after 4?

5.

WAAAAAAH!!

For your viewing pleasure,

Joseph at 3:

(clearly I have not gotten the hang of our camera’s video camera feature)

 

PS If anyone ever convinces him that his name is NOT pronounced “Jo-feph” I will cry.

The Dynamic Duo is BAAACK!

 

Hello citizens,

Sorry about that-

a little 5 day internet outage

and then a 9 day trip to Oregon (by myself with boys)

that really snuck up on me.

But, we are back in (the suburbs of) Gotham City and ready for blogging action.

 

And these pictures!  AHH!  I die of cuteness.

It is worth noting, however: they did not wear these costumes trick or treating.

This gear was especially for our Halloween Day Target Trip to Get Groceries!