Happy Birthday to our Big Boy!
Today was filled with excitement. X turned 4! We needed him to wake up early this morning so we could take Joe to work so we sang "Happy Birthday" to him which got him to peek his eyes open even though he told us he was still tired. He got up fast, though, when we told him to go look for something special in the kitchen. He was so excited when he saw a birthday banner hanging and Boo-Boo Bear holding two cards with his name on it. He was so happy with his cards, especially when things fell out of them and when one made noises (thanks Gma Linda!), that I figured we could probably skip presents but in the end I bought a little Leapfrog video and gave it to him at dinner. His "friends and extended family" party won't be for a few weeks so he will get presents then but I couldn't help but want to spoil him on his actual birthday. I really think I was just as excited about his birthday as he was!
I sent him off to the sitter and school with an "It's my Birthday!" badge on his shirt, which he was very proud of and carefully kept it on all day. His preschool teacher said he would keep going over to her and whispering excitedly that it was his birthday. I've also heard him break into some sort of "it's my birthday" chant/song so I think this year he really gets it. Birthdays are special and HIS birthday is special for him!
I tried to make a special birthday dinner with things I thought he might actually eat (corn on the cob, taquitos, and watermelon). It was somewhat successful...he ate the corn reluctantly and a few bites of watermelon before insisting it was time for his chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream. For future reference, if a child normally doesn't like eating dinner then trying to make a special dinner for his or her birthday is not really the smartest idea. But anyway...as we pulled out the cake, we realized we had no way to light the candles so after Joe's valiant efforts to light them with our electric stove, we just had Xavi pretend to blow them out. He was a good sport and even posed for the camera. I am amazed that he has grown up so much in just four years. I've been nostalgic all month, looking at his baby pictures and thinking about him going through the infant, toddler, and now preschool stages. He is such a happy boy and we are so blessed to have him in our family! He is also very thoughtful. Even on his birthday, he thought to ask about the baby when we picked him up from school..."Mom, did the baby pop out yet?" What a sweetheart. Sure love you, Xavier!
