Ryker Turns 5!!

 Dear Ryker,

It's cliche to say, but I simply cannot believe you are already FIVE! My baby is not a baby, or toddler, and to say you are a preschooler doesn't quite feel right as you just as easily fit in with older school age peers. Daddy and I are so proud of the little boy you are and the young man you are becoming. You are kind, thoughtful, sweet, inquisitive, smart, interested and interesting, funny, and have a positive attitude most of the time. You love to explore and dig, be read to, build Legos, draw, create, play pretend, ride your bike and scooter, are becoming more interested in sports, and love to go to the Museum of Nature and Science (the "Dinosaur Museum" as you call it). You are still innocent and enjoy being with Mom and Dad so much of the time. We'll take it as long as we can get it. Thank you for being such a light in our every day lives. We love and adore you.

Love,
Mom

Birthday Anticipation
Having a birthday the day before Halloween has turned out to be really fun. Ryker has morphed his birthday and Halloween into one event that he looks forward to with much anticipation. Several weeks back we were at the grocery store together, and when Ryker saw that they had Halloween decorations out, he look at me and declared, "I can't believe they are already decorating for my birthday!" He also attributes the neighborhood Halloween decorations to everyone prepping for his birthday. It's too cute.

Birthday Celebration
We celebrated Ryker's birthday this previous weekend with family and a few friends. We had tacos, cake, presents, and just let the kids play. Ryker had been asking for a cousin sleepover as the main thing he wanted for his birthday, so Raum spent the night with all four kids sleeping in one room. Ryker loved it!

Later today on his actual birthday, we will go out to eat (Applebee's per Ryker's request), and come home to a few more presents.

Happy Birthday to our precious little boy! He wouldn't agree to staying 4, so I'll try to soak him up as much as I can as the years fly by.

Edited later: Unfortunately, Ryker, Sydney, and Myles all got a stomach bug the afternoon of Ryker's birthday, so we had to postpone our Applebee's dinner. Since Brayden had already had the stomach bug, Ryker naturally blamed it on him. While throwing up in the bathroom he yelled out, "Why did Brayden do this to me?" and later while crouched over a bowl dry heaving, he lifted his head enough to exclaim, "Let's just get rid of Brayden!" In the morning, he came into our room and asked, "Are the bugs all out of my body?" Thankfully, the bug only lasted less than 12 hours, and Gilby and I were somehow spared!