Birthdays, Bicycles & Bee Stings

We started off the week by celebrating Gina's birthday. Marguerite came up and the boys were so excited, you'd have thought it was their own birthday. They made Gina cute little canvas paintings with their handprints on them. We had an awesome dinner made by Mamas and Pop, and we sang Happy Birthday and ate lots of cake. Of course, Gina couldn't get near her presents, the boys demolished them within seconds. They think any birthday is their ticket to dive into presents, and since we've all allowed that to happen, they're in for a rude awakening when they go to the next KID'S birthday party. And God forbid she blow out her own candles...but I think it's worth it to see the joy on their faces. Who needs to make wishes when you have these two?

Later this week, Jackson decided he was ready for the training wheels to come off his bike. He's ridden the bike four-maybe five times-tops. I tried to explain balance and coordination to him, but he was hearing none of it. I suspect the reason he wanted them off has to do with his new attitude of not needing help from anyone, or anything anymore. It's been sort of depressing to us. He told Ray, while manuevering his way up the wall like Spiderman, that he doesn't need the ladder to get to the top bunk anymore because he's "four and he's SUPER." So anyway, I took them off. Hey-who am I to argue with someone who's four and super? I guess I don't need to tell you he fell...a lot. I told him even Superheroes need help sometimes. By the way, have you ever seen a Superhero with eyes like these?

Another "first" happened two days ago! While sucking down his tenth popsicle of the day, Jackson was apprehended by a bee on our front porch. Call me crazy, but maybe the puddle of melted popsicle sludge surrounding his feet attracted the darn thing. I shrugged it off and told him to ignore it and it would go away-you know the old wive's tale "if you don't bother him he won't bother you"-yeah, sure. Well, somehow it got into his Croc and stung him on the foot. Yep-his first bee sting. If anyone in Valrico was sleeping at that moment, they weren't anymore. I thought for sure he woke the dead with the howls he let out. Nothing I said or offered could calm him down. Sadness quickly turned to anger and soon he was throwing his Crocs in the front yard, yelling something that sounded like an expletive and then ran into the house screaming, "MOM! TAKE CARE OF MEEEEEEEE!!" And oddly enough, it was that moment when a warm, fuzzy feeling came over me. He still needed ME...

...and a Ziploc full of Gummy Bears;-)