Oops...he got me.

Andrew and I got to work on thank you cards this morning.  What else are you going to do at 6:15 in the morning?  I pretty much let Andrew have free reign on this project, with a little guidance.

Me (in a cheerful voice):  "Wow, this is kind of crazy!"

I totally expected a response similar to yes, it IS kind of crazy (with laughter following), but instead it was-

  "Noo..I worked very hard on that!  It's just right."

...and it is just right.  So sorry, Andrew.

Andrew Turns 4!!

Party #1: 

We celebrated in style this year.  I wanted to have a party this year, but I didn't necessarily want to have it at our house.  After searching and pondering I mentioned Chuck E Cheese to Loren.  He immediately said yes (or something of that nature) and thought it sounded like a great idea.  Why not?  

Wow.  Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday night is CRAZY.  It was nuts, but everyone had fun.  Andrew loved his party and keeps asking to go back.  What a way to turn 4!

Party #2:

Chuck E Cheese was on the 13th, so we, of course, had to celebrate again on Andrew's birthday, Monday the 15th.  The large part of the day was a regular day.  Loren had to go to work and Andrew had to go to preschool.  After I hugged Andrew and wished him a Happy Birthday when he came downstairs first thing in the morning he said, "I can't wait to show Daddy that I'm 4!!"  Andrew took treats to preschool and walked out afterwards with a crown on his head and a big smile on his face.  We hung out at the house all afternoon.  Austin took a 2 1/2 hour nap, and during that time Andrew helped me make (another) cake for him.  He poured the water, vegetable oil and cake mix into the bowl (some of which ended up on the stove).  I added the eggs.  Andrew helped me mix the cake batter by placing his hand on top of mine while I ran the electric mixer.  He loved being a party of the cake making process.  He later said, "Mommy I really liked watching you crack the eggs and mix the cake."  :)  

When Loren returned from work we headed to Red Robin for dinner.  There really is no better place for a birthday dinner!  It was calm and...quiet (not always the case, but it was at 5:30 on a Monday night).  Halfway through our dinner the waiters and waitresses came to our table and sang a crazy birthday song to Andrew and gave him an ice cream sundae.  Andrew dove in (literally), but ended up eating only a couple of bites of whipped cream before asking for more grilled cheese.  

We continued the celebration at home with cake, ice cream and presents.  I took a 20 minute video of Andrew opening his gifts (sorry no pictures of that part) which was pretty fun and funny to watch.  His biggest gift was a 16 inch Toy Story bike which he got to ride around the circle inside our house.  It was much too dark to take it outside Monday night and yesterday was yucky and rainy, so maybe today he will get to ride it.  

Andrew had a fabulous 4th birthday that I'm sure he will remember for a very long time.  And it isn't over!  More gifts are coming as we see family this weekend and next.

...and my favorite part happened while tucking Andrew into bed.  With a sleepy smile on his face Andrew looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you."  

Halloween

We had a fabulous Halloween this year.  It was chilly, but not too cold.  It was awesome to see both Andrew and Austin trick-or-treating.  Andrew was an old pro, and Austin followed Andrew up to the houses and held out his bucket.  I was so surprised that Austin wasn't shy about it.  It definitely helped to have a big brother to show him the ropes.  The funniest moment of the night was when Andrew ran down a sloped driveway and tripped (okay, that wasn't the funny part).  Instead of crying because he scraped his hand, he yelled "Aaahhhh!!!!  My bucket!" as it rolled down the driveway.  Thankfully a very nice man stopped it from heading into the street.  We made the rounds and no one complained when it was time to stop.  Once we got back, Andrew very eagerly helped me pass out candy to a few trick-or-treaters who came to our door.  

Both boys went to bed happy and full of sugar!