Sunday, July 29, 2007
Birthday Boy!
It’s hard to believe that Benjamin is now four years old! My how he’s grown and turned into such a little man. Even so, he’s still very much Mama’s boy, and will always be my little boy.
We didn’t want to be on the road on his birthday, so we left Blackshear the day before and drove straight through to Delaware. It made for a long day, but all the kids were great travelers. Benjamin, in true fashion, talked nonstop for the first two hours we were on the road. His mouth was like the Energizer Bunny! Even Mom was surprised, and would occasionally turn around and look at me as if asking if he would ever stop. I suppose he’s making up for lost time since he didn’t really start talking until he was three (when he started speech therapy).
We decided to take him out to dinner somewhere where the staff would sing to him. We all wanted to eat at Olive Garden while in the states, so that’s where we went. However, Benjamin missed his afternoon nap and fell asleep as we pulled into the parking lot and didn’t wake up when I took him out of his car seat and carried him into the restaurant. I figured I’d let him sleep in my lap until the food came, and even managed to eat my salad and breadsticks before he awoke.
We ordered a single pizza for him and Zachary to share, but when it came he wasn’t very interested in eating it. Before he could take his first bite (he slept longer than we expected), our waitress brought out his birthday cake and set it in front of him while leading the staff in song. He liked the attention and blowing out the candle. Not a bad way to awake from a nap!
However, we told him that no one could eat any cake until he ate one slice of pizza. He balked at that idea -- yes, he’s stubborn -- and crawled under his chair to get away from the pizza. So, the cake came home with us -- uneaten.
When we arrived home, he was in a better mood, especially when he was allowed to open presents. I had purchased a few items for him in Germany that I intended to bring with us, but I hid them so well that I forgot to pack them. Oops. So, I had to make an extra shopping trip for a few items, and fortunately found some that were perfectly-suited for him. Guess that means I’ve got a jump on his Christmas presents!
After he ate something “healthy” (fruit) for supper, MacKenzie lit the candles on his other birthday cake and we sang to him again. This time, he didn’t hide under any chairs, and opted to eat the cake after blowing out the candles. Since we had two cakes to choose from, everyone got what they wanted -- chocolate or vanilla. What a great day for a wonderful boy!
We didn’t want to be on the road on his birthday, so we left Blackshear the day before and drove straight through to Delaware. It made for a long day, but all the kids were great travelers. Benjamin, in true fashion, talked nonstop for the first two hours we were on the road. His mouth was like the Energizer Bunny! Even Mom was surprised, and would occasionally turn around and look at me as if asking if he would ever stop. I suppose he’s making up for lost time since he didn’t really start talking until he was three (when he started speech therapy).We decided to take him out to dinner somewhere where the staff would sing to him. We all wanted to eat at Olive Garden while in the states, so that’s where we went. However, Benjamin missed his afternoon nap and fell asleep as we pulled into the parking lot and didn’t wake up when I took him out of his car seat and carried him into the restaurant. I figured I’d let him sleep in my lap until the food came, and even managed to eat my salad and breadsticks before he awoke.
We ordered a single pizza for him and Zachary to share, but when it came he wasn’t very interested in eating it. Before he could take his first bite (he slept longer than we expected), our waitress brought out his birthday cake and set it in front of him while leading the staff in song. He liked the attention and blowing out the candle. Not a bad way to awake from a nap!
However, we told him that no one could eat any cake until he ate one slice of pizza. He balked at that idea -- yes, he’s stubborn -- and crawled under his chair to get away from the pizza. So, the cake came home with us -- uneaten.
When we arrived home, he was in a better mood, especially when he was allowed to open presents. I had purchased a few items for him in Germany that I intended to bring with us, but I hid them so well that I forgot to pack them. Oops. So, I had to make an extra shopping trip for a few items, and fortunately found some that were perfectly-suited for him. Guess that means I’ve got a jump on his Christmas presents!
After he ate something “healthy” (fruit) for supper, MacKenzie lit the candles on his other birthday cake and we sang to him again. This time, he didn’t hide under any chairs, and opted to eat the cake after blowing out the candles. Since we had two cakes to choose from, everyone got what they wanted -- chocolate or vanilla. What a great day for a wonderful boy!Labels: Benjamin, Birthdays, Nana and Papa, Stateside visits
