Buy Your Cake and Eat It Too

*I never ever thought I would create a blog. I don't even know if anyone but family will be interested in reading it. But lately I have really enjoyed a couple friends' blogs and it inspired me to write about our family and let you all in on what we like to call family life. So here goes. If it's terrible, just hang in there. Maybe it will get better.*

So we have two birthday parties coming up in 1 week. Carter will be 4 next Sunday and Ethan will be 8 on Thursday. How did this happen?!
We are having each party exactly one week apart, Sunday the 28th for CJ and Sunday March 7th for Ethan.

We have made a very difficult decision about Carter's gift, which is to get him a Nintendo DS. We just were not sure he was ready. But he has prayed for one practically every night since November. On his Christmas list were at least three different DS games, and when we asked him why he wanted games when he didn't even have a DS he would reply (rather matter-of-factly) "Santa will bring me one". And then he would pray each night "Dear Jesus bless Isabella (that's his best friend), help me to have a great day and to Santa bring me a DS". Then when asked him what he wanted from Santa, he would say "a DS". Us: "Ok but what else?" Him: "Just a DS". Us: "Yes, but is there anything else you want from Santa?" Him: "No."

Luckily he was distracted enough on Christmas Day that it did not devastate him when he did not get one. But since then he says to me often, mostly when his brothers are playing their DS's "Mom, this is ruining my life! I feel so left out" HAHAHA!!! So cute, but kinda sad too! He still prays for it at night. We found a used one on Craigslist for much less. I'm just not ok with handing a brand new $130 piece of electronics to a four year old. We are really hoping we don't regret this decision. Don't judge....you be the one to look in to these eyes when he says "You're ruining my life!". I thought we would face that with teenagers, not my 4 year old baby!

Here is Carter at Old Navy. He thought the little mannequin girl was really neat and asked me to take a picture:

Now, about Ethan...

In a week or so he will be eight. He is so grown up. He's right in that place where he still wants to be a kid half the time but wants to be grown-up too. He no longer hugs me in public unless I really guilt him in to it. *Sob*

But he does still love his Mom. Here's us this Summer at Prineville Reservoir:

So every year I pour myself in to making a great birthday cake from scratch. There is a great deal of planning that goes in to said cake. I include fondant, fancy ingredients, and make sure every last piece is perfectly placed. It is truly a masterpiece (in my own eyes). This year, since I am a working mom now, I let myself off the hook for a homemade piece of art I call a cake and decided to buy one for each of the boys. This was no easy decision. Every time I see something that inspires me I think "I could do a cake. It's really not that big of a deal". But then I snap back to reality and tell myself "No. Just NO." So then two days ago Ethan comes up to me and for the first time EVER says "Mom, will you make me a really cool cake for my birthday?"
SERIOUSLY?! Ok, seriously? I feel proud of myself, and a little guilty all at the same time. I said "Nope. This year we're buying a cake". And I am sure his birthday will be just as happy.

With all this talk of birthdays and parties, I feel the need to mention Kyle, who is really feeling left out in all of this. Isaiah's, Ethan's and Carter's birthdays are all within 3 weeks of each other. He thinks it's really unfair that everyone is doing fun birthday stuff and making lists of really cool toys they are probably going to get and he has to wait until August for his big day. Hopefully he and I can do something special soon, just the two of us. I cannot tell you how awesome this kid is. He entered kindergarten as the youngest kid in his class (by far), and was not able to read yet. Something "clicked" in December with his reading and he was off and running. He is testing way above the other kids in his class and is now working on his 1st grade reading list. He has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh every day.

Here's Kyle at the dinner table Wednesday night:

I will update this blog as often as I can. I am sure I will post more often at first to kind of "catch up" on writing about our family. I will post pictures of the birthday parties as soon as I can.