The Young and the Restless

And just like that, he turned 5

Since we're doing memories instead of mountains of presents and since it was supposed to rain, we chose to go to the Antarctic Center for Maddox's birthday, based solely on the fact that we got half price tickets.  It was a fun way to spend a day celebrating this boy who I'm not quite ready to let grow up.  I'll be honest, 4 year olds are kind of my favorite. They had a snow and ice room that we spent all of 4 minutes in before validating my theory that some people are just not meant for the cold.

Blue penguin encounter

So this is the Hagglund ride. It's the vehicles used in Antarctica to maneuver over snow covered mountains and they have a course designed to replicate that. And I may or may not have had a panic attack while locked in the back of it with 10 other people and a heater turned up to 100 degrees. I'm so embarrassed. For those who have been unfortunate enough to witness my claustrophobia in the form of me diving over seats while stuck in the back of an SUV, or getting a blue disability sleeve and popping valium when flying, or elbowing my way out of a crowded elevator to take the stairs, then I'm sure you can just picture it.  If not, allow me to paint a picture of me frantically trying to open the emergency exit window and asking a random lady if I could hold her hand to help calm me down and then said lady rushing to push the emergency button to tell the driver to stop and then said driver coming back a little irritated especially when I decide I am fine after all and then later learning that he has a video camera and witnessed my whole panic attack.  Jason, Kylie and Jayden were in the front with the driver and Kylie about died of embarrassment.  Even cute clothes couldn't redeem me. But I survived and even faced my fears and, without making eye contact with the driver, went a second time. Except this time I sat in the front next to a door. That didn't lock.

They have an Antarctic storm simulator.  I was the smart one who opted to stay where it was warm and watch through the windows as the winds reached 30 mph and the temperature dropped to -30.  All in all, Maddox thought the Hagglund was too bumpy, the 4D movie sprayed too much water in his face and the storm was much too cold. So in other words, I would say his birthday celebration was an overall success.

His actual birthday was more up his ally with mini rainbow pancakes,

a scavenger hunt orchestrated by Jayden to find his 2 little presents (which he was thrilled about, I really do love this whole scaling back on presents thing),

and his own deep sea adventure in the bathtub.  He stayed in there way beyond the pruning stage.

and then designing and decorating his birthday cake (although if we're being completely honest here, it wouldn't have turned out any better if I had done it myself) and ending the night with a movie and popcorn.  I can't even sum up in a few sentences how much I love this boy of mine, so I'll just end with the famous words of Jerry McGuire. You. Complete. Me. (cheezy much?)