Birthday Boy

J turned 4! Amazing to us that he's gone so quickly from a toddler to a rough and tumble little boy. He's very proud to be 4, but is also spending a lot of time planning to be 5. He really wants to get to ride a school bus.

After days and weeks and months of relentless sun, it turned grey and chilly for his lake park birthday dinner. Mom, Roni, Mr. Al, Aunt Virginia and I were the invitees. We huddled together for warmth and ate a little extra cake to add warming fat layers. J ran around like a mad man, bouncing like a pin ball off of objects in his way. A little excited, maybe?
He was thrilled with every present: a police car (I'm going to regret those siren buttons), a tow truck (the police car has been breaking down a lot already), a Handy Manny from Aunt Virginia who didn't realize that she was picking such a favored cartoon character, a sock monkey (they vaguely scare me, but J slept with it that night) and a sand/water toy (which was the only one we didn't immediately take away so the sand wouldn't ruin it).

He finally got to snatch the Thomas train off his cake - the delay of which had led to a meltdown at the Safeway store. He was also thrilled that there is such a thing as S'mores icecream, pointing out each marshmallow to us all.

Can I just say again, ohmygosh, my kid is 4!