No More Babies Here

I've been told that it's not good to wish the time away, that once the kids are big, you'll wish they were small again. I can't say that's been true for me. From the time that Eli was born, I kept looking forward to that next milestone: when he would be done nursing, when he would walk, when he.... you can easily fill in the blank. Don't misunderstand, I have enjoyed every moment (well, maybe not EVERY moment) of watching him grow and develop into each new phase, but I have been looking forward to this new particular phase for about 2 1/2 years. As he enters into each new phase, I've been doing major purging of baby stuff in our house. It's been wonderful! But nothing will compare to this: getting rid of the crib and changing table!! That's right! Eli has been sleeping in his big-kid bed since Saturday night and is doing great. He stays in bed all night, after only having to place him back into the bed once or twice at bedtime. That's way better than it was with Lucas! The only real con is that we've had to say goodbye to scheduled nap time. He just won't stay in the bed, no matter how many times I put him back in. Now I get to enjoy the unscheduled naps in the car, in front of the TV, at the dinner table... but I'm so very OK with it. Farewell, crib! It's been a great 7+ years with you, but it's time for you to move on to the next family.

It's not enough for me to be doing the bye-bye crib dance... I am also getting to do the bye-bye diapers dance! We are currently in the midst of a hard-core toilet training session and I've been seeing real progress, especially today. So with the absence of a crib and diapers... I think it's pretty safe to say that there are no more babies in this house.

The Birthday Boy

Aack! I started this post right after Lucas' birthday party and then left it... until now. Seems like eons ago, but I would feel horrid if I didn't dedicate one post to Lucas turning 5.

We celebrated his birthday on the Saturday preceding with a huge party here at the house. Most of his friends came, there were 18 kids total (that includes my 3). As they came in, we directed them into the dining room to make their own paper airplane (we supplied crayons and stickers for them to decorate). Then they got to see how well their planes flew! That was a cacophony!! All those kids so excited and running around flying their planes.

Then we directed them to go sit in the library for a puppet show. The guy who did the puppet show was fantastic (he was the same one that we hired for Clara's 5th birthday). The kids just laughed and laughed. It doesn't matter that the puppets are showing their age or that the guy is well past retirement age or that he uses the word "butt" too much... he is well worth the price!

After the puppet show, it was time for cake and ice cream. I made him a rocket cake with outer space cupcakes that turned out pretty cute. But, the look on Lucas' face as everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to him was completely priceless... he was in his happy place for sure! I really think that he loved all the attention... that everything was focused on him.

After cake and ice cream, the kids played a few rounds of Duck, Duck, Goose and Musical Chairs. Such simple games, such a wealth of entertainment!

Lucas loved his party, but the festivities didn't end there. On his actual birthday, Monday, they celebrated at school and I brought in L-U-C-A-S cookies for him to share with his class. Then that evening, we took him to the restaurant of his choice, Austin Grill, then back home for family presents.
Happy 5th Birthday, Lucas!