On February 19th, we celebrated Ben's fifth birthday. He was so excited. Jim and I put up some decorations the night before so he would see them when he came down in the morning. I came down in the morning to give him a big hug and kiss before he headed off to school. They actually went on a field trip on his birthday and then my Mom and I picked him up early, right when the bus brought them back, so he had a pretty great day. He wore his birthday crown all day and really enjoyed all of the attention. :) That afternoon my Mom hung out for a while, playing games with Ben, before heading home. Jim was able to leave work a bit early (thank goodness because Ben was dying to open his presents!), so once he got home, Ben opened his gifts from us, Grandma & Papa, the Meier's, and the Schwanhausser's. He requested McDonald's for dinner and then we rounded the night out with some funfetti cake and snowcones (had to try out his new gift from Grandma & Papa!).
The family room decorated for his special day
Ben lined all of this stuff up Sunday morning and said they were his "birthday decorations"
Grandma and Ben playing "Go Ape"
A few pictures with the birthday boy
Ready to open his presents!
Simon was a HUGE hit! Thanks Grandma & Papa!
Playing Simon with Ben while Oliver sleeps :)
Checking out the Icee machine
Birthday cake I made after seeing a picture on Pinterest
Cake time!
Being silly
Dear Ben,
You are such a sweet boy. You are so quick to share your toys, treasures, and even candy with everyone. You almost force Jim and I to have some of your goodies, even if it means they will be gone and you won't get anymore. You still love playing with Legos, dump and trash trucks, anything that is gold or resembles "treasure", and now you are getting more into Nerf guns and games like Simon and "Go Ape". It seems like something has clicked recently and all of a sudden, you are getting really good on your scooter, 4-wheeler, and bike. We thought you'd never have any interest in the bike, but you are really good at it now. Daddy even raised your training wheels a little bit recently. You love going for walks and bike rides and recently you want to go "explore" more when we are out. I love going exploring with you.
You have always been a bit of a perfectionist and extremely organized and good about putting your toys away. Everything has a set place and you notice right away when something is not where it should be. You take a liking to certain stuffed animals and toys and they become your favorite, until you change your mind and start carrying around your new "favorites". You love routines, but have been so amazing with the introduction of your brother into our family, which has put a bit of a wrinkle into our usual routines. And you are an amazing big brother to Oliver. You always want to know where he is, what he's doing, if he's awake or asleep, and you make sure to give him kisses before bed.
I love how creative and funny you have become. Some of the phrases that come out of your mouth and your observations are absolutely hilarious and so honest and perceptive. You are so smart and catch onto new things quickly. You are great about doing your homework and love having important jobs in your classroom.
You are one GREAT sleeper. You kinda owed us after taking 40 minutes naps (on the dot!) as an infant! But since then, you have always taken pretty good naps and gone to bed at night, no problem. You didn't even get out of your bed until your Daddy and I almost begged you to start getting out on your own! LOL. You are still taking 2-hour naps and usually go up to bed with little resistance. Same with going to bed at night - you're usually in bed by 8pm after bath(or shower), reading books, and brushing teeth.
You are better on a tablet than I am. Your lashes make all women jealous. You will eat foods at school that you tell us at home you don't like. You are silly. Sometimes your silliness turns into mischief. You can be quick to cry and don't like to say you're sorry. You love dessert. You love spaghetti Sunday. You sometimes say the sweetest grace before dinner. You ask me to lay in bed with you every night for a few minutes and that is when you will tell me about your day. I LOVE this time with you and look forward to it every day.
Recently when I look at you, I can't believe how old you look - you have turned into a little boy right before my eyes. I can almost see a glimpse of what you'll look like as a teenager, but at the same time, I also see my little baby in there. You will always be the one who made me a Momma. I love you to the moon and back.
Love, Mommy
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