The Young and the Restless

Four

This is such a fun age. The little raspy lisp, the funny phrases, the creative imagination, the unconditional love, the way a happy meal toy can become the greatest treasure in the world and those juicy kisses that make my world stop. Maddox, I know each day you are growing up into the person that you are meant to become, but man how I wish I could slow it down. I really like this age. Happy birthday little NaNa banana. He couldn't open his presents until after church because he decided that drawing tattoo sleeves "to look like a man" (oh help me) was much more fun than going to sleep the night before. Birthdays are kinda lame on Sundays, but the thing about four year olds is that they are easy to please (I could take a few pointers from him). Presents, cake batter pancakes and smoothies were a pretty good start to his birthday then the rest of the day was spent playing with his new toys, a pizza dinner and then riding bikes to the park that night. According to him, it was the best birthday ever.

He got an animal balloon kit and I think I found my calling in life.  I can make a weinie dog like it's nobody's business.  I'm considering applying for the balloon lady job at Chili's.  This is his bunny hunting disguise.  They'll never know what hit them.

Besides everything he saw on every single commercial every single day for the past 5 months, this dollar store truck balloon has been a constant on his wish list.  It didn't leave his side for a full week until the poor deflated thing finally got a hole in it and he said it stunk.  Then that was the end of that. He also got a bike horn that he honked obsessively the entire bike ride because he thought he could use it to communicate with the birds.  He finally decided the birds had a headache. 

The Dream Light was also at the top of his list.  I never thought I'd spend $30 on a stuffed animal, but it has worked wonders at bedtime.  He actually sleeps instead of drawing smiley faces on his belly button with markers.

Later in the week we had his very first friend party.  The plan was to keep it simple.  Then I got on pinterest.  These cupcake cones were a hit (even though Ryder grabbed the plate and they all got smashed.  Good thing four year olds don't mind cracked cones and smashed frosting)

These mini goldfish jello bowls were a hit.  Until they tried eating them. Martha Stewart, I trusted you.  Next time I'll just use regular blue jello.

We ate lunch, drew treasure maps, went on a scavanger hunt to find buried treasure in a bucket of sand that I stole from the park, had a fishing pond and ran around like wild banshees because when you're four that is way more fun than any organized games.  It was adorable seeing him interact with his friends.  Exhausting, but adorable.  Love you, Maddox, glad it was the best birthday ever!

And then he wore this mustache from sun up until sun down the next day.  He was excited to fool the world because "nobody will neckonize me and think I'm a strange man from Las Vegas".  This is exactly why I love this age.