Is My Birthday Here Yet?

Nathan is at that age where he gets so excited and anxious for events coming up. For days before Halloween, every day he'd say, "Is How-een here, yet?" Then we'd look at the calendar and count and talk about how much longer he needed to wait. The minute we were through with Halloween, Nathan started asking (many times a day), "Is my birthday here, yet?" We followed the same routine each time until I could finally say, "Yes, it's here. Happy Birthday, Nathan!" He was a little frustrated to realize that he would have to wait until later in the evening to have his party, though. He was so excited when we I decorated his cookie "cake", when we blew up balloons, and when we started bringing out presents. He danced around the living room singing, "My birthday's here...it's here!"

So, on November 4th, my "baby" turned four. He's so grown up and so sweet. I'm so grateful that he's mine. Heavenly Father knew I needed him last to make me smile and laugh, keep me young and fit, cuddle and love me when I need it most (and when I don't) and to amaze me with his goodness. He has an angry streak that doesn't take much to come out, but most of the time (as long as nobody teases or crosses him) he's such a sweet and happy little boy! I love you, sunshine!

Nathan's train cake was actually a giant sugar cookie.
He really doesn't like cake much.

Make a wish...

Opening presents

The very favorite present, by far, was a "Mario Mushroom" Bryson made. Steve helped him cut a wooden ball and stick, drill the hole, and sand and glue it. Bryson painted it all by himself. Nathan loved his mushroom so much, he wouldn't even put it down to open his other presents. He slept with it for several nights after and it was his constant companion for days. So cute.

Saved by a Three Year-Old

This is one of those "Smiles and Sunshine" moments I built this blog for. I have a hard time remembering details about what happened last week, so I thought I better get this cute little story posted before I forget.

A few days ago, I was working on the computer and Nathan came in crying. He had tears streaming down his face, and his expression was one of those scrunched-up hurt-feelings faces that makes you think, "Oh, great. Now what did they do to my baby?" He climbed up on my lap and tried, through his sobs, to tell me what happened. I honestly couldn't decipher any of it, but know I heard Rachel's name somewhere in there. Trying to do the "mommy thing" and fix it for him, I facetiously asked if we should go and spank Rachel. Nathan immediately stopped crying and looked at me with a worried look on his face. He said to me, "Oh, no, Mommy! Not Rachel. She's such a good sister!" That made my heart melt. It was so precious, we went together to tell her what he had said. I found out from Rachel and a guilt-faced Bryson that he was the one that made him cry by pushing the teasing a little too far. After a half-hearted apology, Nathan forgave him, and everything was fine again.

By the way, Rachel later confessed that she was laughing and probably added to the problem. Hmmmm... Perhaps she shouldn't have been spared after all! Good thing her littlest brother loves her so much!

Contemplating Waffles and Eternity

One night when the girls were gone for mutual to a camp certification night at Scout Mountain, we decided to take the boys and have a little dinner of our own in the mountains. We made some sandwiches and drove up there, too, hoping to grab a picnic spot and have a little quality time with our boys in a setting that they love. We were disappointed to find out that Scout Mountain doesn't have any day use picnic areas anymore. They're all camping spots and cost $10 per use. So, we headed back down the mountain and stopped at Cherry Springs. Steve and I ate in the amphitheater area while the boys ignored their dinner and picked flowers, played with giant leaves and caught caterpillars. We had a fun time together. We decided to head home when the mosquitoes got so bad Bryson was running around in circles so they wouldn't land on him. Funny boy.

On the way home, Steve and I were talking softly while the boys sat quietly and stared out the windows. (I think they were tired, but really fighting sleep.) All of a sudden, Josh said, "Dad? Do you thin the girl I marry will like waffles?" Trying to stifle his laugh, Steve answered, "I'm sure she will son." Josh thought about that for a second and then said, "Good. Because I really like waffles and the girl I marry has to like them so we can eat them all the time for breakfast." He settled back into his thoughts again and all was quiet in the back seat. Steve and I joked about him taking all of his dates to IHOP and making sure they order waffles before he considers them marriage-worthy. What a sweet thing a six year-old perspective is. Life is so good when all that really matters to your future is whether or not your wife will eat waffles with you.

The Worth of a Chocolate Chip Cookie

What is the worth of a chocolate chip cookie? I guess that would really depend on how old you are. For Family Home Evening, Josh helped me make cookies and we took them around to the kids' Primary and YW teachers. (It was all his idea.) They each dropped them off by themselves. We created quite a stir of smiles throughout the neighborhoods. It was really fun.

Nathan's teachers are "Bwoddew and Sistew Dow-wee" (Brother and Sister Dalley) and he loves them so much! We stopped at their house, and at his insistence, he marched up the driveway all by himself to deliver his cookies. He marched right past the front walk and up toward the top of the driveway. When Steve called to him, he looked really perplexed about how to get across the grass, through the rosebushes and over the railing to the front door. While Steve got out of the car and tried to direct him to the walkway between the rosebushes, the Dalleys came out of their house. When Jeremy said Hi to Nathan, he got so excited, re-routed, and ran up the walk. They crouched way down so they were almost his size. Watching from the car, I wished I had my video camera and a tiny microphone hooked to him. He talked to them for a minute and then opened the baggie and handed each of them a cookie. He said goodbye and walked halfway down the driveway with the other two cookies still in his baggie. We told him to go back and give them the rest of the cookies, which he thankfully obeyed. After he handed them the baggie, he asked very politely if he could please have one...or two cookies, too. They each handed him one and he turned around and headed back to the car again. Steve stopped him and explained that all the cookies were for the Dalleys and we had some at home for him. So, he marched up the walkway a third time and traded in his cookies for a fresh-picked rose from the rosebush and a handful of petals. Then they bent over and gave him a hug. It was so funny, and so sweet! I love three year-olds. I've always treasured fresh chocolate chip cookies as one of my favorite comfort foods, and eat more than I'll admit, fresh out of the oven. Apparently, a chocolate chip cookie is even more valuable than I thought, and is rivaled only to a hug and a rose from your favorite teacher.

SO COOL!

Okay, remember that part in "A Christmas Story", when the boy puts his tongue on the frozen flag pole at recess, and the fire department has to come out to help him get it off?
...Well, I have a very curious 5 year-old. On the way out the door to school Monday, Joshua noticed the frosty trail of ice that had formed itself on the iron rail going down the stairs outside. He loves to eat snow and icicles, and in all of his excitement of having both served up to him sweetly on the rail, he took a big lick. A few moments later, Steve looked out to see why he was hanging out on the stairs and noticed that he had his tongue stuck to the rail!! He was pulling, and starting to panic (as any of us would), and Steve hollered at him to stop pulling. He brought out a cup of warm water and tried to pour it over his tongue without getting him all wet before school. He went to school that day with a sore little tongue, but a happy smile after Daddy's rescue. I wish I had been faster with the camera, as I would have loved to capture that moment forever. It was so funny, and unbelievable to me that he would think of such a crazy thing to do. Then, I remembered...when I was a little girl, I got my tongue stuck to a metal bar in the freezer once....