ELEVEN MONTHS

Bright eyed and a big smile on his face. Typical Riley.

Party Time

Connor informed me months ago that he was going to have a Spiderman birthday party. I started gathering Spiderman goodies together about 2 months ago. Soon after I started doing that, however, he informed me he also wanted a Batman and Superman party. With some quick additions to the plans, a superhero party was created. It actually worked out to be easier to brainstorm ideas for the party on the superhero level, rather than limit it to just Spiderman. However, I did still use Spiderman as the mascot for the party.

THE INVITES




























THE GAMES
When the kids arrived, they were each given a bag to begin their "training." Inside were the props necessary to become a superhero - a cape and a mask. Their first task was to decorate their masks. It ended up not taking them very long to decorate their masks, so we moved on to the next portion of the "training." I explained that all superheroes know how to do their own thing, but it's also very important to learn how to work together as a team. Using yarn, they created a spider web, then had to work together to bounce spiders off of the web and ultimately unravel themselves as well. Their next task was to test their ability to detect evil. While blindfolded, they took turns using their instincts to "eliminate" various arch nemeses. The final game tested their speed and agility. They had to pass a stick of "kryptonite" to one another, much like hot potato. Connor completely missed the point of the game, and insisted on holding on to the stick, even as the other kids urged him to pass it on.

THE GIFTS

Connor received many fabulous gifts from his friends. Ironically, however, he seemed most impressed with the card we gave him. It even seemed to overshadow the real golf clubs we gave him.

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THE CAKE
The original cake I found for Connor was no longer available when it came time to place the order. We settled for another cake instead. I made an addition to the cake . . . a bomb (chocolate donut) placed by a villain that could only be blown out by the breath of the birthday boy.

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THE BUDDIES

I was a little disappointed more of Connor's friends weren't able to make it to the party, but Connor didn't seem to notice. He had some good friends from school come, including his favorite best friend, Rita. He enjoyed having his little bro around to play with as well.

Donut Delight

Connor is a donut addict. He doesn't care if it's Krispy Kreme, Lamar's, or Hostess. He'll take any he can get. I was a little hesitant about leading Riley down the same path at such a young age, but as he sat staring at Connor as he inhaled a donut, I caved and decided to let Riley try one. As you can tell, he hated every last little crumb.
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Puzzle Time

One of the gifts Connor received for his birthday was a superhero puzzle. At first, he wanted me to help him with it. I convinced him he should try to do it on his own. He stared at it for a while, trying to figure out his first move. Once he started fitting the pieces together though, he put it together in no time at all. He was quite proud of himself when he finished. Rightly so.

Snow Day

The weather forecast for today has been looming over our heads all week. Not just snow, but lots of it. When I woke up for work this morning, the roads were clear. I made it to work fine, but that's when the heavens opened. It dumped on us. We watched it getting worse and worse through the windows at work, and finally they made the executive decision to let everyone go early. We made it home fine, and found that Daddy had already started working on the driveway. Connor immediately wanted to help out, so he grabbed his own shovel and got to work.

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Once the driveway and sidewalk had been cleared, the guys came in and warmed up with one of Grandma's homemade cinnamon rolls and some hot chocolate. Connor thought it was the best idea ever. However, he didn't settle down for long. The drifts of snow building in the backyard seemed to be calling his name. We packed the gear on him again, and he set off on a snow expedition. First plan of attack: create a snow angel. Riley watched longingly from the warmth of the kitchen. This time next year, Riley will be joining him.

4 YEARS OLD

Hard to believe, but Connor turned four today. Where has the time gone? This time next year, I'll be registering him for kindergarten! As we've done in past years, we had his picture taken with his birthday gift. This year, he got his own set of real golf clubs. Let the fun begin.

Popsicle

Due to teething, we've had a difficult time getting Riley to drink much lately. His appetite hasn't diminished at all. He still eats a hearty meal. He just won't drink. I've tried a bottle, sippy cup, regular cup, and straw, using formula, milk, a mixture of the two, and even juice. In an effort to keep him hydrated, I finally broke out the popsicles. It may not look like it, but he loved them.

The Shoe Bandit

Riley has an unexplained fascination with shoes. We have yet to install the safety gate for the stairs. The only reason he goes near the stairs is to pull down any shoes that have been placed on them. The only time he has fallen from the stairs is when he bravely climbed to the third step to grab a pair of shoes we purposely set out of his reach. He has been known to crawl from room to room, clutching a shoe on his journey. It really doesn't matter the type or owner of the shoe. He'll take any he can get. He does the same thing if left to his own devices in our bedroom. I've had to search for a matching pair time and time again. Crazy kid.

Pump It Up

One of Connor's friends from school, Hayden, had a birthday party today at Pump It Up. It was fun seeing all the kids literally bouncing off the walls. Riley was enthralled with watching the kids run around as well. Connor spent quite a bit of time trying to attach a velcro strap on a slippery slope. He was very determined and persistent. Within minutes of arriving, he buddied up with another friend of his from school, JP.
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One of the main reasons Connor doesn't get all his checkmarks at school is because his teachers say he plays rough, and inevitably it's always with JP. His teachers at school finally decided to not let the two boys play together at all. Because of this, I was very curious to see how they interacted at the party. I was shocked at how well they played together. Based on things his teachers have said, I had a preconceived notion that JP was a devil child that was corrupting my sweet, innocent Connor. While watching them, I noticed JP's mom standing nearby. We started discussing our boys, and she said when JP started getting notes like Connor had been getting, she didn't believe he would really act out that way, so she dropped in at school early one day and watched them playing outside together. She said they did absolutely nothing that would have alarmed her. They were just boys being boys. In fact, they play together like Connor plays with Daddy. Watching them play together at the party today, I would agree. They were like two peas in a pod. JP is a great kid that seems to have a lot of the same interests as Connor. I can honestly say now that I wouldn't mind them having play dates together. On our way home from the party, Connor informed me that he had changed his mind and no longer wanted a superhero party. He now wants a Pump It Up party. I had to break the news that it's too late in the game to change the game plan. He said, "Okay, next year then."

Waiting

Grandma watches Riley for us during the week, which is a big help. When I arrived at their house today to pick up Riley, I was greeted with a surprise. He's just too cute! (If you look carefully, you can see the unavoidable Riley drool on the window.)

Going Green

When Connor announced that he wanted pancakes for dinner tonight, I decided to get creative. After all, it is St. Patrick's Day. He thought it was pretty funny when I set his plate in front of him and he saw the green pancakes and green eggs. I couldn't bring myself to try to turn the bacon green.

Disney on Ice

Keeping it a secret from Connor since January has been hard, especially once the commercials for the event started airing on TV. It wasn't just any Disney on Ice. This one featured The Incredibles, his all time favorite Disney characters. He recently admitted that Dash is still his favorite, even more so than Spiderman. I finally told Connor this past week the he was going on a "date" with me, Riley, Aunt Tin, and Grandma. At first, he balked at the idea of Riley joining us, but soon got over it. He likes our dates to be a surprise, so doesn't usually ask too many questions. If I had told him any sooner, he would have driven me crazy asking if it was time to go yet. The wait was worth it. He was very excited to finally be able to go, still not knowing exactly where it was we were going.
Once we arrived at the coliseum and parked, we merged with the stampede walking into the building. The very first thing Connor noticed was the booth selling a variety of souvenirs, including swords. He immediately wanted a sword, but as they were a whopping $20 (yes, for a piece of plastic with a Pirates of the Caribbean sticker slapped on it), I tried convincing him we should look around to make sure there wasn't something else he would rather buy. He went into "fit mode" and didn't even want to talk to me. We decided to make use of the restrooms before the show started, and while I was accompanying Connor in a stall, Aunt Tin snuck out and bought him a sword. Of course that made his day, but he still didn't want to talk to me or even crack a smile. He was in a pretty crabby mood when the show started. But by the end of the show, he had turned his frown upside down.

It took a while for Connor to realize the show was about The Incredibles visiting Disneyland. They were in street clothes for the first half of the show. It did not take long, however, for him to be completely engrossed in the show. He barely blinked. The plot of the show was that Syndrome, The Incredibles' evil nemesis, kidnapped Mickey and Minnie Mouse. It was up to The Incredibles to rescue them. Connor's favorite part of the show was when Dash encountered Buzz Lightyear. He thought that was pretty cool. He also really liked the giant spider that made an appearance with Syndrome.

To entertain ourselves during the intermission, we made use of the Dash mask that came attached to the bag of cotton candy. The mask, paired with his precious sword, completed a new look for Connor. He allowed me to try on his mask, but no one was allowed to touch the sword.

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By the time the show ended, Connor was all smiles and in a great mood again. Considering we were smack dab in the middle of his nap time, this was a good thing. We waited patiently amidst the mass of cars leaving the coliseum and before long we were on to the next stop of our date . . . TGI Friday's. While there, Connor had another treat. The waiters did the ceremonial birthday chant in his honor and gave him a sundae for dessert.