Jack's 4th Birthday

Jack has been looking forward to turning 4 for a very long time.  4 means that he gets to go to Preschool.  4 means that he is a "big" boy and gets to play t-ball this year. This year 4 also meant that he got Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease!  Yikes.... all three of our kids got this crazy coxsackie virus and broke out with blisters on their feet and hands.  We were lucky that it wasn't too severe especially with blisters in their mouths, they all continued to eat well.  In retrospect I feel like a moron that is took us so long to clue into what it was, but they had no other symptoms, and acted normal.

However because of this Jack wasn't able to start preschool yet - He'll start on Monday.  I'm so glad this happened to Jack.  He has such an easy going temperament that he just accepted that this was the way it was and went on his way, content to wait a few more days.

Again because Jack is Jack his birthday was full of rather mundane and unimpressive requests.  We started the day off with breakfast of Life cereal, then hit up the Dollar Store (this is the only place he wanted to use his birthday money - I offered more appealing choices like Target or Toys R Us, but the Dollar Store won out!).  I was going to allow him four or five picks since it is the Dollar store but after finding a pack of marbles, some bubble gum Mentos, and a fishing pole that was on clearance, he was sure that he could not possibly want anything more.  I did coax him to go to Barnes and Noble and we found another treasure there, and then we dined on the fine cuisine of McDonald's.  Jack got a little wild and crazy mixing it up by choosing a Dr. Pepper instead of Rootbeer. Later that night we went to Sam's soccer practice where all Jack asked to do was play in the trees there - easy.  Finally we finished the night off with a dinner of shrimp and pasta, his one luxury item.

His favorite part of the day was opening up his presents - he has many people who called, sent, or texted birthday wished his way!  Lyv and Sam were excited to give Jack candy corn, balloons you can make into animals, and handcuffs.  His favorite gift: a Sno-Cone maker!  We made a pina colada snow cone and life couldn't have been sweeter!

The boys have shared a room since Jack was 10 months old.  As we prepare for the new baby, this will be the last month that they will share a bed. I checked on the boys the other night and witnessed how close they are - even when they sleep.  Sam was actually turned facing Jack but had turned when I came back in.  There is something great about brothers....