Happy 5th Birthday, Collin!!

5 Years Old

Zuanich Point Park - 9 a.m., Birthday Morning

We woke up Saturday morning, and loaded into two vehicles. One destined for the Bagelry. The other for Starbucks. We met back up at Zuanich Point Park on Bellingham Bay!

Kate sang and danced her way through the park (as she does through much of life these days!)

Then Kevin wheeled out Collin's new bike.

Owen: WHAT?!
Collin: It's just like my old bike.

But oh it was not. After a few moments of assessment, Collin seemed to recognize the new bike had bigger tires and a bigger frame (I think the translation in his head was: more SPEED!) and the novelty of the gift hit home. Just like that, he was off!

From that moment on and for the rest of the day, his greeting to everyone was: "Hi! Have you seen my new bike?! Come on!" He rode it nearly all day (and the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and he's probably riding while I type this).

*Unfortunately, although we'd told him we were going to give him his birthday gift at the park that morning, we never actually said, "Here's your birthday gift" as we gave him the bike. As we left the park and then again sometime later in the afternoon, he asked "Can I have my birthday present yet? How about now?" It took some convincing for him to appreciate that the bike WAS his birthday gift ~ but once he understood, he was NOT disappointed!
Owen was quick to realize that a new bike for Collin meant an "old" bike could be a "new bike" for Owen! He and Kevin quickly re-positioned the seat of the green Trek, and Owen jumped on! He declared the little red bike is now "for Kate, when she's ready ... but we have to put the training wheels back on because she's not big like me yet."
(as if we wondered where Owen got some of his crazy ideas ... see pics coming up!)

Party Time!

Mission: Celebrate Collin's 5th Birthday was a HUGE success! The astronauts came Saturday night and spent the daylight hours training for their launch into space after dark with Disney's "Space Dogs," which we projected on a big screen in the backyard under the stars!

Task 1: Building Emotional/Character Stability (Charades)

Can you guess what Collin is imitating? (A. Monkey!)

Can you guess what Grandpa Bob is imitating? (Aunt Janae, Uncle Jared, and the boys couldn't at first either ...[see pic below]) (A. Antlers!)

Grandma and Grandpa J brought their pup Rocky! He was a BIG hit, especially with Kate!

Can you guess what Collin is imitating? (A. Riding a Horse!)Grandpa J, Pam, Aunt Janae and Grandma J

It was fun to watch the adults trying to "hold back" their guesses. First, we wanted to make sure all the kids got to guess and play, so we asked the adults to hold back. But then as the kids got into it, the adults started shouting out answers too ~ sometimes by accident ~ an "unwelcome" reaction of excitement! You see, if you guessed - and got it right - you had to take a turn! Everyone had had a turn by the end of the game! Such a great way to open up a party ~ with laughter for all!

Task 2: Fine Tuning Ship Maintenance (Flying Saucer Art Project)

The kids worked to create flying saucers of many shapes and colors!

Task 3: Mastering Strength and Hand/Eye Coordination (Pinata)

Rikki looks like she's on the attack!

Jared perhaps IS on the attack! Kevin, LOOK OUT!!

Each of the kids had multiple opportunities at busting open the space shuttle pinata. Then as many adults as wanted a turn had a turn. Darn thing didn't want to open! Untimately (finally!), it gave way (with a "little" assistance), and astronauts (bath tub squirter astronauts), asteroids (bounce balls), milky way candybars, and starburts flew out of the ship!

Task 3: Applying Ingenuity to Costume Design
Naomi and Uncle Jared wrapped Collin in a Space Suit.
Rikki, Lily, Marley, Uncle Tracey and Aunt Chrissy prepped Taylor for Take Off!
Kevin turned Kate into a Space Girl (and she quickly tore off the outfit!)
Brannon and Owen created a suit for a Space Jedi!
Once Collin's suit was complete, Naomi and Collin started on Jared, turning him into a Space Mummy!

Marley, Owen, Rikki, Uncle Jared, Collin, Naomi, Taylor

Task 5: Preparing for Lift Off (Last Meal and Send Off Gifts)

Collin chose (same as last year) Make-Your-Own Brownie Sundaes! Kids LOVE to add their own toppings!
True to form, Kate ate her own dessert then happenned upon an unattended bowl and quickly ate every last bite of the chocolate syrup-covered brownie left in it!

Task 6: Launch

We lined up blankets and had a round of Commander Says while the sun went down. Then all the kids laid down and looked up at the stars while I called out Lift Off: 5, 4, 3, 2,1! Together we soared into space, and I led them through a dictated tour of space, bending and twisting as we (in our imaginations) raced towards the moon, dodging planets, meteor showers, and discovering stars. At long last the kids landed safely on the moon, snuggled into their sleeping backs, and the movie began. It was super awesome!

After eating three bags of popcorn and about halfway into the movie, I heard Collin, as he leaned over towards Marley, "Marley, look up! Look at all the stars. It's like we're really in space!" Aha. Mission Accomplished.

The astronauts were also going to test their lung capacity Saturday night, but I totally "spaced" it! So Sunday morning we brought out 500 wrapped straws and the kids practiced shooting the wrappers as far as they could send them! I caught this shot after Collin had shot off four at a time!

Mission Crew

Commander CollinRikkiOwen

Lily
TaylorNaomi

*Marley and Kate were also at the Training Camp and Blasted Off in Mission: Celebrate Collin's 5th Birthday!!

I'm 5. I have the World By the Chain.

Collin got a 20-inch bike for his birthday, and he climbed atop of its frame Saturday with an eye for speed. He hasn't looked back! He's ridden his bike every spare moment!

Affirmation

Mommy, I love you. You're great. You're The Good Mommy.
- Owen, 8.2.09 (3 1/2 years)

What did you just say?

Kevin to the boys: While Kate takes her afternoon nap, maybe you two could play Skip-Bo or Uno and I'll paint the bottom of the wall over the stairs?

Collin, laughing: Paint your bottom?!

... and despite ourselves and his clear, purposeful misinterpretation, we all busted up laughing. ; )

Imagination

You can't beat the power of imagination! While I'm doing laundry, Kate is rowing the boys out in their canoe (bed sheet) from the beach on Shaw Island to the great big ocean, where they are pulling crab pots and battling crab and lobster! So much fun!

*Once they got to shore, they gathered the play camp stove and pots, pans, utensils, etc. and cooked up a feast, complete with a butter and herb dipping sauce for the lobster and crab! It was so funny! I could just "see" them with their fake meal ~ like the feast in "Hook"! It was awesome! Then Collin looked over at Owen randomly and said, "Hey, Owen. You're in the water." Owen, who was stirring a pot of something on the cook stove, which then must also have been in the water, said: "Oh, yeah. I know. I'll get back on the boat."

The Ouchie Game

To my knowledge, no one has been hurt yet ...

But they call it "The Ouchie Game" because one wrong, miscalculated jump ~ and OUCH!

The game? Sometimes when we have guests, we blow up an air mattress and place it at the foot of our bed for the boys to sleep on so the guests can have the boys' room. The game entails jumping from our bed onto the air mattress. The obstacles: other kids and the challenge of directing your bounce ... if you bounce back, you hit the bed frame; if you bounce to far to either side, you roll off the mattress (and into a dresser or wall); if you miss the mattress altogether (which has happened), look out!

*I'll add a pic after Monday when I can retrieve it in my office!

Sweet Words

As we were wrapping up our neighborhood play-eve, my neighbor Rebecca observed Kate, who was complete with marker-lipstick up and down her left cheek and a rock in each hand. My neighbor looked and me with a smile and said, "I love Kate's presence! She comes and plays, expresses her happiness, and then goes on her way." Such a sweet sentiment. I couldn't agree more.

Day 2 on Two Wheels -- Zuanich Park 7.21.09

Hard to tell maybe, but he is BEAMING in this picture!! By the end of Day 2, he was starting and stopping all on his own, efficient with his brakes, and had even dared to try riding in the grass. (with success!)

Such a cool shot of O, riding off into the sunset

Kate and Marcel (Kate is two weeks older)

"Look, hold your foot like this!"

"Oh, I got it! Like this?!"

Owen and MaryJane

I want to climb too! (so hard to spot AND take photos!)

Climbing up the outside of the slide (yes, he's still my climber, although Kate is following closely in his footsteps)