Birthday Boy

Caden is now a 4 year old.  While I'm excited that some of the behaviors of a 2 and 3 year old are behind us, hopefully, I'm learning more about the fun that comes with 4.  I do believe that with 4 comes the belief that you know everything and that mom (and sometimes dad) are no longer always right.  Arguing comes with this and he now all of a sudden knows more than I do about things.  I'm sure there will be more I will learn but this is something I've already picked up on and we are only two weeks into 4.  Caden is a blast, most of the time : ) , and keeps us busy with his imagination and energy.  For his birthday we celebrated with lots of foods of his choice.  Donuts for breakfast, Taco Bell for lunch, and 63 Diner for dinner.  We went swimming the morning of his birthday with one of his good friends.  Then after eating out for dinner we went downtown to a Family Fun Fest where we got to see some dogs doing tricks, got some balloon animals, and bounced in a bounce house.  Then we returned home for the cakes he had requested.  For the longest time he had said that he wanted a dinosaur birthday cake...one with a dinosaur made out of blueberries on it.  I'm not sure where that idea came from but he stuck with it for months.  Then at the last few days before his birthday he started saying he wanted a football cake.  Really he said he wanted one with football players on it, but I took a little different (and easier) route.  All in all he thought it was super cool that he got two cakes and they were fun and pretty easy to make.  His 4 yr check-up at the doctor went great.  He is well prepared for kindergarten, which he won't attend for 2 years, meaning that he got all the shots he needs.  He weighed in at 32 lbs (16th percentile) and was 40 inches tall (36th percentile).  He is a growing boy, we can't believe he is 4!

The birthday boy got a donut for breakfast that he picked out the day before at the store

 

He choose Taco Bell for lunch, we picked it up after swimming.

 

He choose 63 Diner, aka the Elvis restaurant, for dinner.  This is his face when the restaurant was singing to him

Blowing out his candle in his ice cream at the restaurant

The cake with a dinosaur made out of blueberries on it

The football cake

The happy birthday boy with two cakes for dessert (after his dessert of ice cream at the restaurant)

Photo Book I just finished for Avery Lynn

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Olympic 4th Birthday Party

Caden celebrated his 4th birthday with an Olympic Themed birthday party.  We had lots of friends and family that were able to come to his party to celebrate.  It is fun because he and his friends are now old enough to do and enjoy games and activities at parties.  Since we had an Olympic theme we did several different races and an obstacle course to finish out the party.  I think everyone had a great time, especially the birthday boy!  He is ready to do it again and was upset when I was putting all the decorations away the following day.  He told me that we were going to need those for his Olympic birthday party.  I replied that his party was yesterday and he said well lets do it again today.  : )  I'll take that as a good sign but I do think he believes he will have another party soon so hopefully it sinks in that he will be waiting another 12 months.  Here are some pictures from the party.  I plan on doing a 4 year update soon after we have his 4 year checkup at the doctor.  

How we started the day.  Caden wanted to pose by the Olympic Rings when we got them hung.

Caden and his Great Grandparents (Amy's Grandparents)

Olympic Themed cupcakes

Cookie Gold Medals

Cool birthday presents - A beta fish

All the kids ready for the ice cube race

Slow and steady was Caden's method

Owen and Caden competing in the hurdle relay

A water break before cupcakes

Blowing out the candle

Michael may be the only one looking at my camera but at least nobody is crying : )

We finished the day how we started it with a picture in front of the Olympic rings

Avery Lynn is 18 months!

It is crazy that our little girl is now 18 months old.  She had her 18mo doctors appt this week and checked out great.  She weighed 20lbs 12oz which was 24th percentile.  I was super excited!  At 12 months she was at 11%.  I'm not sure exactly how we gained that much in percentile but I'll take it.  She is still on the same track with height and head circumference.  She was 32 inches long (50th percentile) and her head still came in at the 95th percentile.  She is happy and healthy!  She is also all girl!  She loves to wear hats, bows, necklaces, and shoes.  It is crazy how opinionated she is about her accessories.  She will get quite upset with me when I choose a pair of shoes for her to wear that is different than the pair she wants to wear.  She can regularly be found wandering around the house with a hat, necklaces, and shoes she decided she needed to wear.  Lilly has recently been made into Avery Lynn's new dress-up partner.  Avery Lynn discovered that she can put hats and necklaces on Lilly.  Avery Lynn loves it!  Lilly puts up with it very nicely....  I now see why you see pictures of little girls dressing up there baby brothers.  At least Lilly is a girl.  All in all it has been a fun 18 months with her.  We are excited about the days to come.  Below you see pictures of Avery Lynn and Lilly.  And then some that I took of Avery Lynn at Shelter Gardens here in town.  We went one morning a did a photo shoot.  : )

Avery Lynn and Lilly wearing hats

Avery Lynn helping Lilly get on her necklaces

So proud of her accomplishment!

Shelter Gardens Photo Shoot

Where did the puppy go?

Trip to the Bahamas

I wish!!! Maybe if I enter I will win.  : )  Not likeley, but you never know I guess. 
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June in Review

June was a good month but evidently I didn't do a great job of posting pictures as we went.  My pictures from June mostly consist of an Olympic Themed Playgroup at the Mizzou track, birthday parties and BBQ.  Plus Avery Lynn being totally all girl. 

Caden doing the hurdles relay with friends

Caden long jumping

Avery Lynn at a Doctor themed birthday party for a friend. The mom was exceptional and made all the kids "white coats" and "stethoscopes" to wear.

 Michael, Maya, and Caden ready to operate : )

Ricky made us some delicious BBQ wings.  Caden loved them!

Another friend had a super hero party and the mom made all the kids masks and capes.  Very crafty moms here in Columbia. It was a fun time!

The kids enjoy getting outside and riding "bikes"... before it got to 105 

Avery Lynn is so funny and all girl. You can regularly find her in shoes and necklaces. This time I believe was after bath so she only had a diaper on, but sunglasses as well.

Did you know purses could double as hats?

Wacky World of Animals and Other May Things

These pictures are from back in May.  They must have gotten lost in all the vacation pictures that also got taken in May.  There are a couple of pictures from the Memorial Day parade.  We met some friends and the kids had a good time seeing all the cars, motorcycles, etc drive by and the aircraft fly overhead.  Then there are pictures from the day we went to Jane and Woody's Wacky World of Animals.  This nice couple in town has lots of animals (camel, chickens, llama, fainting goats, etc) at their house.  We went and toured their property for playgroup. It was a lot of fun.  And the last pictures are from a day at the spraypark.  Fun all around town!  More pictures from June coming soon.

Parade with friends

I can't remember now what the Camel's name was, but he was very friendly

Caden feeding the camel

Avery Lynn observing the chickens

Caden at spray park

Avery Lynn and I at spray park

Happy Birthday Lilly

Lilly celebrated her 6th birthday last Tuesday, June 26th.  We took her to a dog park here in town to celebrate and she had a blast.  She loved the attention and getting to fetch toys in the water.  Caden loved throwing the toys in the water for Lilly. Both kids liked playing with all the dogs.  Avery Lynn loved seeing all the puppies, as she calls them.  I can't believe we've had Lilly for 6 years.  She is great with the kids and we can't imagine not having her in our family. Happy Birthday Lilly!