Sam is Four!

Four years ago we were home with a newborn baby.  Sleep deprivation setting in, John had gone back  to work, and I was on my own with our little five pound bundle of joy exhaustion.  I think about life now, compared to then, and I wonder how in the world I was exhausted.  I had one little baby that slept a lot, although our sleep schedules weren't in sync...but, there was only one little guy to worry about.  There are parts of it that I feel like were just yesterday.

Sam, at four, is still our fearless ring leader!  He will try almost anything...at least once...and definitely more if it's something he thinks he shouldn't be doing.  He's busy and loves to push the limits.  He's learning how to negotiate with us...maybe a little too much.  He's impatient and wants things his way now!  He's friendly and kind (unless his little brother is touching something he doesn't want him to)...loving, fun, playful, full of joy.  Some of his favorite things right now are trains and construction equipment, playing his guitar and new fiddle, and singing, sports--baseball, football, and soccer, making his brother laugh, building things, and drawing.

Sam celebrated his fourth birthday two weeks ago and this was a fun birthday year.  It's the first one that he's been excited about and realized what was going on.

We decided to also give him a "Yes Day!" on his birthday, inspired by the book Yes Day! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  Unfortunately, despite all the hype, the idea was kind of lost on him.  I kept having to remind him it was Yes Day! and ask him if there was anything he wanted to ask for...the little boy in the book asks for pizza for breakfast, to have a food fight (to which Sam said, "We don't throw food."), to stay up late, as well as other things.  Sam's most exciting request all day was chocolate milk at every meal!  For lunch, he actually asked for a grilled cheese sandwich and carrots!  I was expecting a day full of candy, junk food,  requests to play some crazy number of games, and I'd planned to document all his requests in photos to make his own Yes Day! book...next year, maybe?

I think Yes Day! kind of took a back seat to all the new pieces he got to add to his wooden train set.  He's been very interested in building things lately and has been short on train track because he likes to build such elaborate tracks.  We got him some more train track and trains, along with a train station, draw bridge, roundhouse, and a hilly mountain train track.  He and dad put it together and Sam stayed planted on the floor playing train ALL. DAY!

Birthday breakfast out with mom and dad...pancake, scrambled egg, sausage AND bacon, and of course, chocolate milk!

Birthday lunch with chocolate milk (the chocolate obviously didn't mix in well enough).

New train stuff...track designed by dad and Sam.

Happy Birthday to Sam!

Birthday dinner dessert...
chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

I seriously didn't realize how much this kid loves chocolate milk!

And I realized (too late) I didn't get a picture of his birthday dinner request...his favorite meal...pork chops, mac 'n cheese, and broccoli and cauliflower! (I think I forgot about getting a picture because just before sitting down to eat our weather sirens started going off...there were tornados forming very near us...I kind of went into panic mode and started cleaning out the closet under our stairs so the family could get in it.)

Saturday we followed up with a great party with great friends.  We rode the DART train (city light rail) downtown and walked to an old, well known, pizza place for pizza and cupcakes.  Sam and his friends all loved the train ride but I think I loved the pizza place best...the party just seemed kind of old-fashioned to me (which I love).  A birthday party at the pizza parlor!  We also had a balloon entertainer who twisted some fabulous balloons for the kids.

Sam and his train balloon

Sam and his friends waiting for the train

Little Ben, complete with train shoes

Here comes the train!