Hammondville

Turning four is serious business.  It is not a milestone to be taken lightly.  With it comes with great responsibility, trust  and a laminated “Big Boy” certificate!  The Boy understands his status all too well since this past weekend he was reminding us constantly.

“Daddy, tomorrow I’m four!”  he holds up four fingers, just to make sure I know how many it takes to make that magic number.
“I know, Buddy!”  I said,  “Are you excited?”
“Oh!”  he claps his little hands.  “Me can’t wait!  Me can’t wait!!”
“And…”  I said, in a hushed tone.  “I think there will be presents.”
His eyes opened wider.  “Presents?”
It suddenly dawned on me that in his excitement to turn four and achieve his Big Boy credentials he forgot that birthdays come with other little perks like presents.  “Yeah!  We have presents for you.  You didn’t know?”
“What are the presents?”
“You’ll know when you’re four.”  I held up four fingers.
“Tell me!”  he squirmed.  “What presents??”
“Well, if you go to bed now, the quicker your birthday will come and you can get your presents.”
He stared at me a moment, considering my proposal.  ”OK, good night!”  he said with a hasty peck on my cheek and ran off to bed.  I was a little stunned.  He never goes to bed without a fight or at least an hour of negotiation so I know he was really excited.

The next day he was the first one awake greeting us with his big four year old grin.  We did our birthday song and dance and he got to see his presents.  A cool Batman action figure and, the Pièce de résistance, a standing punching bag.  Just the tool for a Boy who is constantly punching and kicking imaginary bad guys to make the universe a safer place.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

I’ve been helping the Boy learn his letters and he’s been doing really well at it.  He can’t read yet but he doesn’t know that.  The other night I was reading a book when he came over.

“Dada, can me read your book?”
“You can read?” I said with a playful gasp.
“Oh, yes!” He said, beaming with confidence.
“Can you read me this page, Buddy?”
“Sure!”   He took the book and gazed at all the daunting words scattered all over the page.  “Hmmmm…”
Then he ran his finger slowly over the page and said, “I-love-my-Daddy….that’s what it says!”
“Ohhhh!”  I laughed, “So you can read!  You’re a great reader!”

With reading skills like this the Boy may well need to skip kindergarten!

“This is the best Christmas everrrrr!!”  The Girl squealed, more times than I could count.  It was hard to disagree with her.
As we sat next to the Christmas tree, surrounded by the shreds of wrapping paper that became victims to their excited frenzy just a few moments before, I thought to myself: It was all worth it.   The months of planning which gifts to get, finding the hiding places that they wouldn’t think to peek, the late night wrapping and preparation on Christmas Eve, the squeals of joy and the jaw dropping looks of surprise once the veil of wrapping paper was ripped away.  Yep, all worth it.

The top gift under the tree this year was the Nintendo Wii.  The Girl has been hinting for weeks that it would be nice to get one.  I kept making a dramatic display of how “expensive” the Wii was and that there was no way we would be afford one this year — which she totally believed.   The truth was that we had already bought it and it was well hidden in my closet!  So on Christmas morning when she opened her first present and saw the Wii needless to say it was a priceless moment.  Among her many gifts she also got her first REAL point and shoot camera!  I’ll have start giving her some photography lessons!

The Boy also had his own priceless moments as well!  An avid Star Wars fan, especially of the Clone Wars series, he ripped away the wrapping paper to reveal his own Clone Trooper helmet and blaster.  As he saw the blaster he exclaimed “JUST WHAT ME NEEDED!”  Then proceeded to blast everything in sight.  As a connoisseur of fine weaponry, the Boy also received a pair of Nerf Swords that he has been asking for.  Upon seeing them he yelled again, “JUST WHAT ME NEEDED!”  One has to wonder exactly what the Boy has up his sleeve that he NEEDS these weapons.  I hope we don’t have a little Stewie Griffin on our hands!

Like the Girl said.  It was the best Christmas ever!  And I have the photos to prove it!

Surprise!!

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