Abe turns FIVE

It seems impossible, but Abe has turned five. FIVE. Is this real? Could he really be starting kindergarten? Taking t-ball and soccer? Could we really be parents of children who are seven and five? Indeed, we are.

We surprised Abe last week with a castle tent and presents. As soon as he woke up, he stumbled into the living room and gasped! A tent!! Anna and I found a really cute one at IKEA and we couldn't resist. The idea was for this to be outside, but we have had nothing but rain for the last couple of weeks and so it will have to be an inside play item until the ground dries out a bit.

He was begging for a policeman outfit and REAL handcuffs...
I presume so he can arrest his sister.

The day was extremely busy. We had VBS in the morning and then I pulled him out early so he could attend his friend Jack's birthday party. Jack and Abe are only one day apart and his party fell on Abe's actual birthday.  

So Abe attended a birthday party, just not his!  Then we came home and went to the swimming pool, and got cleaned up for his birthday dinner at the... TRAIN RESTAURANT.

If you know Abe, you probably already guessed that one.

It may sound strange, but I did not make him a cake because we knew that he desperately wanted to have the train bring him his own cupcake and hear the birthday song being sung JUST for him. It didn't make sense for me to bake a cake after having just eaten a cake. Plus, we were leaving town the next day for my high school reunion. The kids were staying with my in-laws and Grandma and PaPa had planned to make a cake and sing and give out presents. So this was one of the easiest birthdays I've ever pulled together!

Is it coming? Is it coming?

Yes, it's coming!!

It's here! My cupcake is here!!

We headed home for bedtime and one more round of happy birthday. He loves it when people sing that to him. Abe actually came up into our bed and asked us if we wanted to sing it to him again. Of course, we do!!

Sure enough, Grandma baked an awesome gluten-free cake for Abe. And it was topped with transformers! Autobots UNITE!

We opened presents and played with new toys and then headed to bed after a very long day that included VBS AND a five-hour drive. The next morning, Mike and I took off for Columbia to attend my 20-year high school reunion. Abe and Anna got to hang with family in St. Louis and attend a graduation party for our niece Madison.

Abe's friend birthday party was this week. It may have been a slight delay, but we've been so busy it snuck up on us fast. We had a bunch of preschool and neighborhood buddies join us at a bouncy house place. I've decided this might be my favorite venue. The kids exhaust themselves running and jumping. I don't have to do anything except pick up a cake. The party place orders pizza (even a gluten free one) and provides all paper goods and drinks. And I do not have to clean up my house when it's all over!

We used our favorite friend to make an awesome shark cake! It was actually a gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I swear it was the best cake I've ever eaten in my life. And I can prove it because we ate the leftover hunk of cake with a fork the next day, straight out of the box. And when I say "we" ate it, I mean mostly me and Abe. We are gluttons. 

I'm not a huge proponent of birthday bags so I try to give out things that are edible. There is enough plastic junk in my house and I suspect in other folk's houses also. We typically give out cookies and that's what we did again this year.... SHARK cookies!

The kids were exhausted by the time we got them to the party room for pizza and cake. Sweaty, tired, and ready for bed. That's how we roll. Abe got to sit in the birthday throne thing and blow out candles and enjoy his last few moments of glory. It was fun. And simple for me to execute. 

This kid is such a crazy wonderful bundle of energy and life. He is still figuring out so much, his emotions, his interests, his whole being is in flux, ya know? It's fascinating and frustrating and beautiful to watch him learn how to approach life. He cares very deeply for certain things, such as his friendships and his family, and when he has a passion for things it really shows. 

We love him to bits. It's hard to put my mind around how fast he is growing up and changing. He's not a baby anymore. He's a rough and tumble kid. A FIVE-YEAR-OLD. And we're excited for what the next year will bring.