Reuben

It's a good thing that Reuben can neither read nor access the internet because, hello, I forgot to post about his birthday.

Thank you, thank you for your accurate nominations for Worst Mother Ever.  I accept the award and will now move on.

Nearly a month ago, he turned four.

As is our custom, we made his cake together.

"A green dragon cake with black icing and green ice cream."

 

Looks like Paul and Peter are helping him out.

See the dragon in those sprinkles?  Ha.

Birthday cake and ice cream are thrilling...

...especially at 10:07 in the morning.

We don't normally do the Cake Ceremony so early in the day, but... 

...we had a plane to catch.

The boys didn't know it,

but an hour later we were on our way to California.

The occasion?

To witness and celebrate my Dad's baptism.

Had to go.

 Peter very carefully studied the emergency info.

He told me he would prefer to crash land on land, not water.

"You can't use the back exits on water.

Are we going to fly over water?"

Three flights later we were eating my Mom's chili.

(With soda crackers and butter, not peanut butter sandwiches like they do in my current home state.

Is that weird to anyone else?

The PB sandwiches, not the crackers.)

This is my Mom giving Peter lessons on How One Texts.

We are a cell phone-free family and we are pretty clueless on how to operate one.

Pete is 'chatting' with my sister who I got to see about an hour later.

But before I go on to our California Good Times,

we are remembering Reuben's birthday.

Yes.

 A dragon building set.

 He's all about dragons right now

and this one is so great.

 Pinata-ing at Nana and Papa's the night before.

 

Others participated too,

including five cousins.

 How was that?

Good?

Maybe I should include some words of endearment.

Like, he is so funny.

He is strong and brave

and gets to do so much more than Peter was allowed when he was four and his first-time Mama was always hovering nearby in case of An Accident.

Lucky Reuben has a veteran Mama.

Go ahead and climb up that steep embankment over a moving body of water filled with Big Rocks of Doom.

You can do it.

And he can.

And he did.

On Monday.

He is also fiercely independent and persistent.

He is getting better with sharing

and using the empowering phrase:

"When you're done, can I have it?"

instead of just grabbing from others.

Yea Reuben!

We love him very much.