4th Birthday Today!

I can't believe JCG is turning 4 today, I'm feeling really nostalgic. All of the sudden he seems much more like a boy than a toddler. He has shot up in height the past month or so and eating like a horse. He's catching up to his peers at preschool. All of this is good, right? All I want to say is "slow down, I'm not ready for you to grow up!"

Vacation in VA with my dear friend Sarah and her kids, Emma and Nick, was fantastic. Two flights out, two back. Joaquin was much more observant of the whole airplane experience this time. On the way out, he called it a "bus." On the way back, waiting in the airport to leave on the first flight, he must have said "airplane" a minimum of 200 times. I do not exaggerate.

We relaxed, swung (?) on swings in the screened-in front porch for hours, swam in a baby pool at home, went to the big community pool, long walks to the park every morning, lots of rest. Great grown-up conversations with Sarah, too. Just what we needed. I didn't realize how tired I was prior to the vacation. JCG overcame his fear of dogs, as we lived with Jake, a big 'ole black lab.

The only snafoo was being delayed several hours at O'Hare in Chicago on the way home. We arrived at 6:50 p.m. and left at 11:10 p.m., getting into KC at about 2:00 a.m. JCG surprised me, never had a meltdown, stayed awake for the whole flight so he could look out the window and play with the gadgets. After we got home, he insisted on the usual bedtime ritual with books, etc. Crazy kid. As usual, he attracted a crowd of admirers while waiting at the airport so we had some buddies to hang out with while we waited. They were really helpful with the stroller, etc. I love relying on the kindness of strangers. I picked up that little trick during my years living abroad. I do believe people are generous at heart. Having a kid helps to bring it out in people!

So, we are attempting to go camping today with Kris, Jamie, and the whole clan. Knock wood! We'll see if we last all night. If not, we can drive home, it's about an hour and a half away. I'm taking a little cake and we'll have s'mores as well to celebrate the birthday. Joaquin's pretty clueless about the whole birthday concept.

Recent Joaquin-isms
poop = swimming pool, ie. "I wanna go to the poop"
strawberries, blueberries = strawbabies, bluebabies
airplane = bus = airplane