Happy Birthday Joshy

Last weekend we celebrated Joshua's 4th birthday on Sunday afternoon. It was 70 and beautiful and followed three days later by snow. Seriously Mom Nature, just pick a season. We started the day with a Silly String war. I bought several cans forgetting just how quickly a four year old can run through their contents. Ross went with the standard, "Look, I am sneezing silly string" but Joshy was only interested in all out war. What is the point of silly string if not being shot at the person least likely to enjoy it? Within 10 minutes the cans were empty and we had resorted to picking up wads off the ground and just chucking them at one another. Papa is always the best sport with Joshy. They ran around the yard and in between the cars, silly string projectiles flying along the way.

For the cake, Joshy was extremely specific. He wanted a Thomas cupcake cake, period. So a Thomas cupcake cake he got. When I first saw it, I immediately bemoaned having to figure out what to do with all the extra cupcakes. Yeah...didn't turn out to be a problem. Normally with cake, if you want more than one piece, you have to be willing to do the walk of shame. Everyone sees you as you hover with your plate, carving out your second helping. The cupcake cake is the loophole. Individually wrapped pieces make for perfect drive by swooping. As the number of cakes kept dwindling, you could only spot offenders by the green-ness of their lips. It's an ingenious thing, that cupcake cake.

Joshy, fully understanding birthday and gifts, tore in, giving it the big excited breath followed by, "What is it?". I posted the video of him opening the snake from Tina. It makes me laugh every time because he isn't quite sure how he feels about that snake.

Jessi gave him Spiderman roller skates that stayed on his feet through the kitchen and out the door. Then it was on to something new. Maybe we will grow into a love of skating later. Mama's not big on shoes that roll either...

When Joshy tore this one open, I said "Joshy, its an Aqua Doodle." His reply. "What's an Apa Noodle?". We played connect the dots until the dots got big and became homes and horses. Connecting the home to the horse does not end well.

Joshy and Papa played with his new soccer goal. It took forever to make it sink in that hands weren't allowed in the game. Why kick it back and forth with your feet when you can pick it up and run?

We decided to get him a sandbox, thinking it would come in useful this summer. He plays in the sand every day at school. I know this by the sand brought home in his socks and shoes and on really active days, his hair and face. Ben played for an hour, just moving the sand and saying "Wow". I am fairly certain the fact that it is one of his two words has more to do with it than the pure amazement factor but it was enjoyable all the same.

It might be a sign you need more chairs when Papa ends up eating pizza on the train...

This year, instead of depositing the money he received into his savings, we let him go to Toys R' Us and have at it. He has never had free reign at a store, no less a store full of toys, so up and down the aisles he ran, discerningly picking this and that. Him loading the cart and me editing on the back end. We ended up with a Spiderman webslinger, a Viking costume and other boats, planes and trains. The Viking costume was for him to play out the character of Joshy the Strong. That is the main character in the bedtime stories John tells him each night. He has fought dragons and bears and had adventures of all types. When congratulating him for killing the dragon, he looked and said "That's because Vikings are strong. But mermaids are stronger". We can thank Backyardigans for that one.