You're HOW old???

"I'm FIVE!"

It can't be.  We have a five year old?

Dear Tanner,

Where to begin.  Your personality grows more and more each day, yet as time goes on, I can see that you're growing into it!  Although you are still rambunctious and have enough energy to power a small city, you are becoming quite a sweet and helpful little boy.

You have recently become very concerned about things being picked up, put away, organized, and 'done'.  Yesterday you spent a good hour re-arranging your toys so they would be 'just right'.    Our conversations frequently include topics and discussion about things much deeper than we think you could come up with...but we try to answer your inquires as best as we can...often trying not to chuckle and wondering WHERE you get your silly ideas.

You are very loving to your two younger brothers, who adore you, and do anything that you tell them.  Including Kortlen giggling and Taylor getting into mischief!  For the most part you enjoy Joy School, despite the fact that you're the oldest child there...but you are learning so many wonderful things while making new friends and getting a break from home.

In just the last month or so, your interest in letters and numbers has increased tremendously, making me a very proud mama.  You love simple math in every day situations, and I can see that the wheels in your head are churning and turning to figure out how letters sound, look, and work together.  You thrive on problem solving, loving attention from those around you, role-playing with your toys, and words of encouragement.

Some days are better than others, especially when you do something you know better NOT to do.  Like pushing or hitting, or sneaking mommy's keys into the can of hot chocolate.

We love you so much, and hope that during the next year we will be able to prepare you for the lessons that await you in Kindergarten.

Happy 5th Birthday, big boy!

Love,

Mom

__________

I let Tanner invite four friends and their younger sibling to a glorified play-date, to celebrate his 5th Birthday by printing this ticket on metallic scrapbook paper.  I actually cut it out square, then punched the edges with a scallop punch...the gold and sorry looking edges are to just give you an idea of what the finished invite looked like.

I tried to keep it low-key...and I think I was successful! 

{WARNING:  Picture Heavy!}

A Willy Wonka Birthday Party WOULD NOT be COMPLETE without...

...EVERLASTING GOBSTOPPERS!

(in the gumball machine...I'm pretty sure they were TWICE the size when I was a kid.)

Once friends arrived, the fun really started!!!   We attempted to play Twister (which is a challenge with kiddos who are Right and Left challenged), played three rounds of "Don't Eat Pete"*, pin the nose on the snowman, and then finished the festivities off with cupcake decorating.

(Landon, Tanner, Adelaide, and Lillian)

 This is precisely why each child got their own knife and own bowl of frosting.  *giggle*

Tanner asked specifically for blue and yellow cake.  As luck would have it, I was clean out of blue food coloring...I checked all three boxes, twice!  So he then chose Red and Yellow...which makes for a very pink and yellow. 

All Tanner could say after his friends said 'good-by' was, "Mom!  I am the luckiest boy in the world!".  Yes, son, you are pretty blessed!  As are we, to have you sent to us to learn and to grow.  

The best part was that clean-up literally took less than ten minutes.  We asked that in lieu of a gift, that a donation be made to a charity of choice...so I didn't have to worry about fighting over toys, wrapping paper, etc.  An hour and a half of fun made this little boy's day!  And all for under $20.00.  Party on!


*for your own "Don't Eat Pete" game, feel free to double click, right click, save as and print the following thumbnail.  To play, gather family around, placing one candy on each square.  Send one person away, and silently pick a square to be "Pete".  Invite the person back in, and as they begin to randomly pick candies, you stay silent, until "Pete" is picked and you yell, "Don't Eat Pete!".  I think the game board we had growing up had different shapes...you could use ANY clipart in a 'table' made in Microsoft Word.  Just sayin'.