This is in lieu of the Monday Report that never happened yesterday. It was Caleb's 5th birthday but after the weekend of festivities, I was comatose and could.not.move a muscle once the kids went to bed! I deliriously remember Steve gently moving me to my side of the bed when he finally crawled in but other than that, the evening was a blur.
So here is my belated birthday post and Monday Report. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties beyond my control, the slideshow I had created for him with all of his darling pictures, won't post. So you'll just have to enjoy a few of my favorites here on the blog.
Caleb's 5th birthday party was attended by family and a few close friends/neighbors. The children enjoyed a flashlight walk/treasure hunt around campus where they searched for Finn McMissile's (from Car's 2) stolen treasure.
They were adorable on the hunt and ran hard from place to place! Afterward they enjoyed an oreo cookie ice cream cake with Finn McMissile on top (just as Caleb requested). It was a fun time and relatively easy for us to pull off. I like these types of parties! The best part is that it was exactly what he wanted. So, win, win!
On his actual birthday, Monday, he had a Monkey Bread breakfast. I've been trying to get my children onto the goodness that is Monkey Bread for ages! But they just balked at it. Finally, Caleb agreed to have it as his birthday breakfast. We can just say, they liked it. The entire mound of gooeyness was gone by dinnertime.
Steve had to start his midterms yesterday so after breakfast he went to Starbucks for the day and the kids and I went to Pump'd which is an indoor bounce house play area. We never go there because it's quite pricey. But it was the perfect thing to do as a special birthday outing. All afternoon he rode his new bike with his buddies at the school and then the day ended with his favorite dinner-chilli with all the fixings. That kid is easy to please. It was definitely a wonderful 5th birthday.
Now here are my reflections on him actually turning five:
I very distinctly remember when Isaac turned five years old. In fact, I wrote about it here. It was a pivotal parenting moment for me because I really felt like the foundation had been laid for him. Now that's not to say that we were done training him or anything like that but, I just knew that for better or worse, the cement had been poured and it was set. Gone were the years of pouring into his little soul; the years to come were for building. And my prayer was that the foundation we laid was strong enough for us to build on.
Once again, I feel the exact same way. Yet also a bit different because even though Isaac was our first and everything is hard with your first, he wasn't as hard as Caleb. Isaac was more textbook. Caleb, well he had no instruction manual and we needed one!! With him, it hasn't always been easy mostly because he was born with an intense amount of determination that usually seemed to manifest itself in a bundle of emotions and stubbornness. There are many times that we had NO idea how to direct his fight. Often he would fight the wrong things, like us, rather than his fears, frustration, anger or failures. In the thick of it, Steve would remind me, "We just have to direct his fight. It's good to be determined. It's a good trait; it just must be pointed in the right direction." Easy to say, not easy to do.
But now that the foundation has been laid, I have hope. He's a good kid. He's a strong kid. And he doesn't always choose right, but often now, he will fight for what is good and wrestle with what is evil. Now if only we can nurture that will of his and make it grow! God help us!!
Caleb is our quietest boy, but he's always thinking, creating and working. He's got a knack for designing then building, and his knowledge is simply intuitive. He blows me away on a daily basis. Caleb is extremely loyal (don't ever mess with any of his siblings or he will tackle you) yet highly compassionate. Our little man of few words has a HUGE heart and a logical but wild imagination. These past five years have been tough at moments but, seeing him now gives me so much hope for the future and makes me joyful.
To my precious second born son, who came into this world kicking and screaming amidst a fast and furious labor...we adore you.
You have taught us more things than you know and we will never be the same.
We pray that we will get to watch you grow into a man who loves the Lord with all his heart, seeks to do what is right and loves others. We'll always be here cheering for you and praying for you as you learn to navigate life.
We're so proud of you!
And that my friends is today's Monday er...Tuesday Report.
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