Birthdays

Whew, time for some catching up! 

Birthday season at our house comes to a close in just a couple hours. Jonathan turned 31 on January 31st, Gideon turned 2 the next day, I turned 31 11 days after that, and today Evelyn turned 4! All birthdays were celebrated in a pretty low-key way this year, and that was just perfect. 

He had to sneak a taste. 

At two years old, Gideon is still a miniature little man. He'll go back to the doctor in a couple weeks and we'll see what the verdict is in terms of his growth. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for with his charming personality. He's starting to embrace the joys and despairs of life as a two-year-old, but on the balance he's a pretty happy, easygoing kid. He's very sweet to his sister... when he's not busy grabbing her toys and running away with a huge smile on his face. He LOVES to sing, and will sing along with us or ask that we stop so HE can sing. He's more verbal than his sister was at his age. He still loves throwing, kicking, and bouncing balls. He's still pretty unconvinced that animals are a good idea (even the ones he's lived with since birth). He loves to wash his hands and insists on it immediately upon arriving at school. He's moved into a big boy bunk bed (bottom bunk) after figuring out how to climb out of his crib (Evelyn never ever did that) and is mostly good about going to sleep.

And Ms. Evelyn turned four today. Four?! How does this happen? I can't handle it. I took the day off work and she got to miss school to have a day-long birthday adventure.

Starting the birthday off right with an 8 AM dentist appointment. No cavities!

In the foam pit at Defy Gravity (trampoline arena)

All of my pictures were so terrible. But it was super fun. And only $6 total for both of us to jump!

The birthday girl wanted hot dogs and ice cream for lunch, so we visited a soda fountain in downtown Cary. 

Daddy joined us for lunch! 

After burning off some energy at the park, we came to my work for a meeting. Grumpy Cat watched Evelyn draw. 

Evelyn took notes during the meeting, and then watched some Super Why and took notes on the plot. 

Mondays are dance days. Here's Evelyn with Maisy and Kate and her teacher, Ms. LuGina. 

Doing some ballet. 

And tap! 

Passed out in the car on the way home. 

Evelyn got a cake too (heart shaped, strawberry with chocolate frosting per her request), and we opened a couple presents, took a bath, and went to bed. It was a very full fourth birthday! Evelyn said so many funny things today and she was so thrilled to be four. She told all the kids at the park that she was going to a meeting because she was four and when you're four you're grown up enough to go to meetings. And she said that she doesn't throw fits anymore because she's four (we'll see how that works out...). Evelyn loves to dance, and she'll do it pretty much anywhere if she notices music that gets her moving. She's very careful. She loves to draw. She loves to look at books. She's a bit slow to warm up, but once she trusts you she can talk your ear off and be quite silly. She wants to do almost everything by herself.

Well, that's what I could remember for now.

As for the adults around here?

Jonathan will have his gall bladder removal on 3/18, probably in the afternoon which means he'll be admitted to the hospital for monitoring overnight after that. He's doing pretty well. Back at work full time and pulling his weight where parenting and household responsibilities are concerned. And he's back to playing games with his friends online, which is always a good sign of his vitality. Still has the increasingly icky JP drain in his side. We'll all be thankful when that thing can go.

I'm ridiculously busy at work with two huge proposals going out at the end of this month. Playing trivia with coworkers every week. Taking MBSR every week. Running/Jogging/Walking every day and trying to meditate every day. Going to therapy (down to once weekly most weeks now... progress!), and still not writing or mailing thank you cards. But I haven't forgotten. I just keep looking up and suddenly it's 10 PM and I'm exhausted. But it'll happen. One day :)