As always, it has been eventful, yet not terribly exciting. Max turned 5 and had a fun day which also turned out to be his first day of Pre-K! We went to Target to let him spend a gift card to purchase his birthday present. He chose . . . . a baseball and a baseball bat! Awesome sauce! He had a wrestler in hand, but put him back to get his own ball and bat. He loves baseball. I was hoping to find some MLB gear for him, but apparently that is so last season. Max is a Twins fan, so I was hoping to find a hat. I think he is happier with his bat that has shark teeth on it and his "real" (not so much) baseball. Max, Declan and I have been practicing our skills outside ever since. We then trekked over to Barnes and Noble because he had a free cupcake coupon for his birthday. He got a chocolate cupcake and did his best to put a dent in it. He ended up giving it to Daddy and Declan to finish off. Next stop: Panda Express. Max and I have a pact. I will get him Orange chicken on his birthday and he will get me Orange chicken on my birthday. He got his Orange chicken and we took him home to eat it. I thought I would get his leftovers, but that stinker left me nothing but rice. He asked me later if he could have orange chicken every day before school, but I told him that this was a special occasion. On a side note, we went again as a family Saturday night and the rest of the brood tried Max's orange chicken and the are hooked! I am sure it is laced in fat and deep fried to death, but it is good stuff. Back to the birthday. It was hurry up and wait time to take Max to his first day of Pre-K. He goes 5 days a week in the afternoon. He was super excited and had a great first day! He wanted McDonalds for dinner, so he and his siblings ate picnic style in the front room for dinner and they conned us into a slumber party on a school night, you know, because it was Max's birthday. Guess where Max slept? On the floor next to me in our room.
Earlier in the week the other three started school. Walker is in 5th grade. He loves school and was delighted to find out that he made the advanced math class. He had to sign a committment form to keep his grade up and turn in all homework or risk getting kicked out of the advanced class. The gauntlet has been set. He is ready and willing for the challenge. Lauren is in 4th grade and is loving her class and teacher. She also loves school, but more for the social aspect. My phone is lit up again with calls from her friends. Brady is in 2nd grade. It is sacrament year for him! He will have first Reconciliation and first Communion this year. He is doing really well with school and is liking his class and teacher. He is ready to rock 2nd grade and can't wait to celebrate his birthday on the 25th!
That leaves my baby, Declan. I swear that kid is the cutest thing ever. He says "thank you" in his own little way. He folds his little chubby hands when we pray before dinner. He puckers his lips to give kisses or steal a sip of your drink. He loves to clean and vacuum with his little popper push toy. I have been showing him the signs for Please and Thank You forever and a day and he has refused to do them. All of a sudden this week, he signed please when he wanted something and thank-you when he got it! He can say Walker's name (he says Gawker, but we'll take it) and he can say Wo-Wo for Lo-Lo (aka Lauren). His siblings adore him and the feeling is pretty mutual. No one can have a bad day when he is around!
Be back soon for Brady's birthday!
Happy birthday to Brady Bear! Brady is our middle child. Somehow he is viewed by the rest of the kids as the "favorite." Not sure how or why. Brady is my most sensitive child. He is very empathetic and his feelings get hurt very easily. On the flip side of that he has a temper and boy, can he hold a grudge. There are no accidents in Brady's world. Everything is on purpose and with intent to hurt him. We are working on this. It causes conflicts daily with his siblings. Brady is also the one who best self-entertains. He doesn't mind engaging with others, but he is just as happy to play by himself. He is the bee's knees to his younger brother Max. Max will do any and everything Brady does to the point of annoyance for poor Brady. Max will also stick up for Brady right or wrong versus the other siblings. I feel like Brady is my most surprising child. Every time I feel like I have a handle on him or his personality, he surprises me. He is too cute though and it is too hard to stay mad at those blue eyes for too long.
For his birthday he wanted a real inflatable wrestling ring. That was the #1 gift request. That was a no. No room, no way, not gonna happen. He wanted a WWE thing-a-ma-bob from Toys R Us, which he may get with a gift card. Lastly, he wanted a bucket of teriyaki wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. He finally got his wings last night with Dad and also got his cupcake from Barnes and Noble. They had some much needed one-on-one time. On his birthday he got some NBA wrist bands and headband, a WWE brawling buddy (don't ask), and last but not least, we got him a scooter. It was no life size inflatable wrestling ring, but hey, he loved it and has loved riding it since (when the rain has permitted). He had butterscotch cake for his cake (I am forever indebted to Wendy for that recipe, it is a big-time fave among all the family members). Overall, he had a good birthday! Can't believe he is 8!
