Albert's Birthday Interview

Albert turned 4 and, as is our tradition, we document this milestone by asking him lots of questions and taking too many pictures of him. This the traditional staged smiley photo.

This is his somewhat fierce face.

This is his very fierce face.

He's trying to be sad but it's not working for him.

Happy/yelling face.

Scary, showing-us-all-his-teeth face.

Cheese face.

Albert: Age 4

What is your favorite color? yellow
Who is your best friend? Elias
What is your favorite TV show/movie? Dinosaur Train/Cars
What is your favorite thing to do outdoors? play in the snow
What is your favorite thing to do indoors? play with my service station
What is your favorite game? Connect Four
What is your favorite thing to wear? these pants and my 4 shirt!
Where would you want to go on vacation? Grandpa and Grandma B's because they have Mouse Trap
What do you like most about your siblings? Addilyn - she tells me things when I'm sad
Asher - when he reads me the steam shovel book (Mike Mulligan and the Steam shovel)
Elias - I like when he comes and says 'What are you doing?'
Now that you're four, what would you like to learn/know? how to get the LEGO bucket down from very high
What do you want to be when you grow up? have a combine...a farmer
What is your favorite toy? service station
What do you sleep with at night? monkey and blue blanket
What is your favorite thing to do as a family? go on vacation

What is your favorite art project? building a snowman (out of foam at Story Hour)
What is your favorite thing to learn about? Advent
What is your favorite cereal? Lucky Charms
What is your favorite lunch? Peanut butter (just peanut butter!) sandwich
What is your favorite dinner? pizza
What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks
What is your favorite dessert? brownies...the dry ones, not the wet (????)
What is your favorite drink? water and juice
What is your favorite animal? all 
What is your favorite song? Hark the Herald
What is your favorite book? steam shovel (Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel)
What is your favorite holiday? Easter

He's just so nervous!!

Cheese bucket.

More cheese bucket. Only this one looks like he's trying to convince you to give him part of your dessert.

"What to choose...what to choose?" 

Fiercely pondering.

Feeling forlorn.

Happy birthday, big boy!!

For posterity and because our kids love to see themselves in videos, here are more questions for Albert on his birthday.

Albert Turns 4!!

Sunday Albert turned 4!! It was ridiculously cold (the temp. when we woke up with -22F!) so church was cancelled. That meant that we all got to "sleep in." More accurately it could be known as "huddling for warmth under our covers." Nonetheless, it was nice.

For Albert's birthday cereal, he requested Fruity Pebbles because it was something that Addilyn could eat too. Isn't he sweet?!!

The new '4' shirt!!

Happy boy opening a card.

Like most birthdays, Albert got to open a gift in the morning. He was pretty excited!

The entire crew was pretty enraptured as Daddy gave them an overview of how this particular toy works.

We then let Albert bring his new toy over to the church where we hung out for a while just in case someone didn't get the news that church had been cancelled. We brought a board game to play with the adventurous soul(s) but luckily, our communication protocol seemed to be efficient and no one showed up. After that, we came home, ate lunch, and let Albert open the rest of his gifts.

Smiley boy!

Rip, rip, rip. Tear, tear, tear.

I wonder what was so shocking.

The entire group helped Albert play with his new toys. They played like this for pretty much the rest of the afternoon. Fun times!

For dinner, I had a lot of difficulty figuring out what to make. Albert is our least picky child and eats most things we put in front of him. He has no obvious favorite meal. When asked, he told me what he wanted for dessert. I'm not quite down with cake for dinner so we kept trying. Then he listed off his siblings' favorite meals which was sweet but not quite what we were going for. After much discussion, he settled on chicken strips and "orange" fries (sweet potato). Good stuff.

The dessert he chose was "peanut butter cupcakes." I'm not sure where he came up with that idea but the closest we were willing to try was chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. I even hid a peanut butter cup in them. That seemed to be good enough for him. Phew! Ironically, I made some cupcakes with and some without the "surprise" inside. One of my helpers (who shall remain nameless) was practicing his or her frosting skills and got the two kinds confused. It ended up that all the boys but Albert ended up with a "surprise" cupcake. Luckily, he was finally able to eat his "surprise" cupcake today after lunch.

And here is the birthday song for your viewing pleasure. Yay for Albert and his four whole years with us!! 

Elias' Birthday Interview

How cute is this kid?!!

Here is his standard picture in the leaves. As an October birthday, we take one of these every year.

The many faces of Elias Johnson: stormy eyes.

Super smiley face.

The smile has taken over his face and has seized control of his eyes.

Band photo.

He knows what you did...and he's not happy about it.

 Wahhhh!

Silly face.

Super silly face (the silly spread to his arms).

Sassy.

This kid is funny! Are you ready for the birthday interview? Here it is!

Elias: Age 6

What is your favorite color? orange
Who is your best friend? no one in this family... Annabelle
What is your favorite TV show/movie? Dinosaur Train/Disney Planes 2
What is your favorite thing to do outdoors? play in the snow
What is your favorite thing to do indoors? help make food
What is your favorite game? Mix-up
What is your favorite thing to wear? my 6 shirt!
Where would you want to go on vacation? Grandpa and Grandma J's
What do you like most about your siblings? Addilyn - when she is nice
Asher - playing football with him
Albert - when he rides the Trail-a-bike
Now that you're six, what would you like to learn/know? how to bake
What do you want to be when you grow up? fireman, race driver, policeman...also he wants to hug Momma
What is your favorite toy? my new bike...I feel so tall!
What do you sleep with at night? Rawr, Seal, small blue (blanket), my fire blanket, my big pillow (with Lightning and stuff)
What is your favorite thing to do as a family? go on a bike ride

What is your favorite art project? I don't have one
What is your favorite subject in school? P.E.!!
What is your favorite cereal? Cookie Crisp (this year's birthday cereal) 
What is your favorite lunch? Peanut butter and jelly and applesauce
What is your favorite dinner? pizza
What is your favorite snack? marshmallows and chocolate chips and bananas and water...we haven't ever had it but I'd like it!
What is your favorite dessert? ice cream and brownies
What is your favorite drink? fruit punch
What is your favorite animal? polar bear
What is your favorite song? Amazing Grace
What is your favorite book? The Day the Crayons Quit
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

Kiss!

If you'd like to compare this year's answers to previous years, check them out (2015, 2014, 2013).

Elias is 6!

Yesterday Elias turned 6! 

The night before his big day he got to help make the cupcakes he would share with his class. This kid loves to be in the kitchen and certainly enjoyed helping make some pumpkin cupcakes.

This is what happens when parents need to wrap a big gift late at night. There is some wrapping paper on the bottom there but we couldn't figure out how to disguise the top. Our answer: just throw some coats and towels on top. We knew Elias wouldn't care and we are beyond trying to impress anyone.

On his birthday morning, he got to start his day with his special birthday cereal. This year he got Cookie Crisp.

Unwrapping his big gift. Yay!

Look at that big, Star Wars bike and that happy face!

One more pose before Daddy takes it outside for the ride to school.

His first attempt at riding the new (and much bigger) bike. Will he make it?

He took off like a pro! Now off to school.
Daddy spent the day at the school as a part of the Watch D.O.G.S. program so he was able to eat lunch with the kids, play at recess and participate in the classroom party with Elias. Fun stuff!

After school it was time to bake yet another cake and then take his birthday pictures. Silly shot with Momma!

Skyping with the Smiths!

A bright orange 6.

Time to open the rest of the presents. Lego!

Reading a card together.

A Willie the Wildcat bobblehead!

For dinner he requested pizza. And what is pizza on your birthday without your birthday crown? Thanks to Mrs. Frederick (our favorite kindergarten teacher) for the birthday crown and sticker!

We finished the day with TaeKwonDo and sharing some 6-cake with our TaeKwonDo friends.
Yay for a super-fun 6th birthday!!!