Landon's Birthday: The Details

First, Nana and Papa came over on Friday night to deliver some presents.

A party ball. That has since been confiscated and hid in a closet. Maybe someday I'll give it back.  But the nightclub going on upstairs until 10:30pm every night HAD to stop.  THANKS MOM.  hahaha

Spiderman hat and sunglasses.

And they even brought a cake.

Spencer enjoyed it, as usual.

Megan, I feel like Dad looks like you in this picture. Like, he's doing your eyebrow thing or something...

Then Landon requested a rock band party with Papa.  And so it was.

Then on Saturday, Landon's actual birthday, we opened presents.

Wait.  Why do you need a bike helmet?  You don't have a bike.

SURPRISE.  You DO have a bike!

Bike brothers.

Cul-de-sac bike brothers.

Then it was time for the Batman party.

I got a little creative with the cheese slices.

Cupcakes.  So much less hassle than actual cake.

Superhero energy fuel.  Thank you, internet.

See those tomatoes?  They're from my garden!!

Batman friends.

A game of musical chairs with Batman theme music

Which ended badly when Jaxson's father decided to pretend to run away with the last chair.

The girls got batman cookie necklaces.

The boys got batman cookie medals for completing the obstacle course.

Not pictured:

• A violent game of ball tag that lasted for a good 40 minutes.
• The game I had totally ready, but forgot to play!  I froze a bunch of batman figurines in ice cubes... I mean... MR FREEZE froze them... and then kids were going to have to get them out!  Oh well, Landon and Spence had fun with that the next day when I rediscovered them in my freezer!
• Beckham and Big Spencer... two friends who couldn't make it, but brought awesome gifts by the following week!  Landon is so lucky to already have so many great friends even though we haven't even lived here a year yet!
• BK, Matt, and Dean playing soccer... men never cease to try to show off athletic skills in front of their women.  It was quite a show.

All in all, it was a great party, and a great birthday!  Here's to being four in the world!

Austin Trip

BK had a physical therapy conference to attend in Austin.

So we decided to tag along.

The boys and I decided to go check out the Nature and Science Preserve at Zilker Park.

It was a grand adventure.

April recap

I did the important thing, and at least kept birthdays updated... but we've done some other fun things too the past couple of months!!

First, we had a Easter egg hunt with friends!

 Then we had one at Nana and Papas!

 If this picture doesn't melt your heart, then you don't have one:

 Landon decided to spend his hard-earned quarter on a toy at the Sonic Park.

 Spencer had a  birthday party here with Nana and Papa.  He got cars.

 A snazzy firetruck.

 A new trike.

 And, most importantly, a cake.

 It's good to be two in the world.

My baby is two.  

Excuse me while I go bawl my eyes out. 

WAAAAAAAAH.

Landon is 4.

Dear Landon,

Last week you turned from "almost-four" to "four."  I cannot believe you are getting soooo big.  I've been keeping track of your little (big) personality for the past couple of years and here's some updates.  (15 months=red, 28 months=orange, 4=green!)

• Landon loves sleeping. At the beginning, he was much more interested in sleeping than eating, although now both hold a special place in his heart. He enjoys going to bed early at night and getting up early in the morning. He seems to enjoy the alone time--with just him, his blanky, and his binky. This still holds true, although he no longer has his binky, and since getting rid of the binky, he's sort of "over" the blanket, too.  (Sad!!)  He goes to bed early at night with no complaint, and is always ALWAYS up and ready for the day between 6:30 and 7:30.  I'm not quite sure where he got this morning-personality...Landon is STILL a morning kid!  He wakes up between 6:30 and 7 every  morning, ready to go... asking for "bretfist." He is still attached to his blanky, DeeDee... and has since added "Clock" (a little digital clock we bought him) to his mandatory bedtime things.  He doesn't really enjoy going to bed early anymore; he and Spence tend to mess around for quite awhile in there before they finally settle down for bed.  Landon still has quiet time every day for a couple hours.  He loves looking at books during quiet time!
• Landon is flexible. He'll sleep in a pack 'n' play no matter whose house we're at. If he goes to bed at 9 instead of 7, he's fine with that. I can count on one hand the melt-downs he has had lasting longer than 45 seconds. Although he prefers to have a nap, if for whatever reason he doesn't get one, it's fine with him. He just goes with the flow. While he is definitely a two-year-old, he still maintains a certain amount of flexibility.  He has definitely had melt-downs lasting longer than 45 seconds, but he is generally quick to recover.  He is generally well-behaved when we go to other people's houses or out to eat.  But if he has a day where he doesn't sleep well, changes and transitions are very difficult for him.  But I would definitely still describe him, in comparison to other two-year-olds, as "goes with the flow." This is still a very good description of Landon! He is very flexible when we are traveling.  Sleeping in other beds doesn't bother him too much.  He is definitely a stubborn little thing, and once he gets an idea in his little (big) head it's hard to convince him otherwise, but we're trying to help him channel that ambition into positive avenues! 
• Landon loves to make people laugh. From about 11 months, he discovered a "cheesy" face(behind his back, I refer to it as his ugly face), and he makes it when he wants people to laugh. He loves to be chased and to be tickled. He has the most awesome laugh ever. Landon still loves to be funny.  He's a goofy little thing.  His "cheesy" face has disappeared, but has been replaced with such lovely behaviors such as: blowing spit bubbles in my hair, relishing in anything gross or disgusting, and talking in strange accentse. Landon still loves making people laugh.  Although he doesn't quite "get" it when people tease him.  But he can be quite the goofball when he's around his buddies Beckham and Roman!
• Landon is stubborn. I know, I know. I just said he's flexible. But he's not passive. If he does have his mind set on something, it's very hard to get him distracted. He tries very hard to communicate what he wants, often taking me by the hand to whatever forbidden door he wants opened. If I don't open it, he has been known to throw himself on the ground in protest. But he usually gets over it quickly. This is all still VERY TRUE about Landon.  He is flexible, but definitely not passive.  He gets rather opinionated about certain things and is very persistent!  And he still throws himself down on the floor in dramatic protest. Definitely still stubborn!  A lot of the times he has really great ideas about things, but if he thinks he has a "goodea" and I tell him no, the back and forth discussion about it takes a looooooong time.   He does usually get over being in trouble pretty quickly.  He knows how to apologize pretty well for a four year old!
• Landon loves animals. He hasn't really cared much for cars and trains yet, but he's all about animals and animal sounds. Some of his favorites: dogs, ducks, cats, monkeys, and lions. Landon has recently become obsessed with cars and trains, but animals still hold a special place in his little heart.  His favorite animals are those that growl. (Surprise!) This is all still true about Landon.  He told me the other day that his favorite animals are the "ones that bite."  He's also VERY into dinosaurs now!
• Landon loves playing with other children. He's fascinated to watch children older than he is. Although he's solemn in unfamiliar situations at first--once he warms up, he's quite the social butterfly. He mainly prefers 4 year old girls. This is still a very good description of Landon.  He is not a "center of attention" sort of kid.  He is slow to warm up in social situations and doesn't mind observing a situation for several minutes before jumping right in.  He is not aggressive with other kids. But luckily because of his sheer size, most kids don't pick on him.  If he does get pushed or bumped (on purpose or accident) he generally just shrugs it off and walks off.  He doesn't fight back.  He loves watching older kids, but I can tell he gets nervous because he can't talk as well as they can.  He still relies on me heavily to help him resolve situations with other children--which is normal for his age.  Landon is a lot less slow to warm up to unfamiliar situations.  He's usually friendly to kids at the playground he doesn't know, and doesn't mind talking to them.  He's getting better at being able to resolve conflicts with friends by talking.  He doesnt seem nervous at all anymore in social situations!  Yay!
• Landon seems to have a gift for perceiving others' emotions. He gets upset easily if he senses those around him are upset. As I've mentioned before, if he senses that someone is sad, he will stop what he's doing to give a hug, and sometimes even a kiss. He just seems to be very aware of the people around him--whether they are happy or sad, whether they are paying attention to him or not.This is very, very true about Landon.  Whether it's his overly-emotional mother or a kid he just met at nursery, Landon cares very deeply about others being happy. He's definitely not perfect at always making choices that will help others to be happy (sharing, etc.) but I can tell that overall, he tries to be considerate of others.  When he is in a sharing mood, he's very good at it.  This is still SO TRUE about Landon.  He pays attention heavily to the emotions of others.  Sometimes I can tell he's testing boundaries to see what sorts of things will hurt people's feelings and what sorts of things make people happy.  He's very sensitive to whether or not I'm having a good day.  I would say that overall, he still tries very hard for a four year old to be considerate.
• Landon inhales food. It is going to be quite the challenge for me to get him to use utensils on a consistent basis--and to get him to eat at a speed that is socially acceptable. Boys. They're they worst.  Landon actually prefers to use utensils now.  He can't stand having his hands dirty!  But he still inhales food, as long as it's something he likes.  He's slow to warm up to new foods.  But he sure knows how to eat tacos and french toast in large quantities! This is still true!  He's a little bit weary about trying new foods.  But he loves eating "super foods" and tells us often that they're the reason he's so strong and big.  He has been known to eat an apple whole.  He's a pretty clean eater--FINALLY!!
• Landon mostly prefers to play with his dad. I'm okay with this, as I get to play with him all day long. But once BK is home, Landon goes to his room, grabs his basketball, and hunts BK down, grabs his hand, leads him into his room to play basketball, and shuts the door. Which is fine with me. Because it makes it rather easy to make dinner! He also loves reading books with BK. Actually, it doesn't really matter what BK is doing. Landon wants to be included and do whatever it is. They are very good buddies. Landon is still very good buddies with his dad.  Especially since his younger brother came along, I think he really looks forward to getting attention from BK every day.  Landon has recently become interested in knowing who is a boy and who is a girl.  He gravitates toward the men in his life, especially "big boys" like BK and Papa.  Recently Landon has been a little bit more interested in me.  Spencer is in a huge daddy phase right now, so Landon and I spend lots of time together.  He still LOVES to play outside with BK--especially soccer and races.  
• Although Landon enjoys attention, he also values his alone time. He's very good at entertaining himself. He loves throwing balls, watching sesame street, and reading books. His favorite book by far is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. One thing I can do to comfort him when he's upset is to whisper the words to it in his ear--even if I don't have the book in front of me--he just likes the way it sounds.This is still very true about Landon.  He likes to have his space, which I completely understand and respect.  He's still pretty good at entertaining himself (a trait he unfortunately had to become a lot better at while I was sick and pregnant) and loves books.  He still loves Brown Bear. Once I direct Landon to an activity, he's generally pretty imaginative and able to keep himself entertained still.  He loves to read books with me.  He still likes to have his space, but also every once in awhile still lets me get a cuddle or two in!
• Landon is smart, and oft-times conniving. Even if he picks things up a little slower than his female counterparts in the ward we're in, once he does pick it up (walking, talking, learning words, etc) he learns fast. I'm amazed each day to learn what new words he's picked up without me ever teaching them explicitly. Landon is very smart.  While he's not extremely verbal, he enjoys learning words.  He picked up all the capital letters on his own, and can count to 13 on his own.  (Thank you, Sesame Street, while I was sick and pregnant...) He generally only has to hear something once to remember it.  His memory is impeccable. He has a strong desire to communicate accurately and will repeat a phrase several times until we repeat it back.  He is still rather conniving and keeps me on my toes all day trying to outsmart him. This is still VERY TRUE about Landon.  He continues to amaze me on a daily basis.  He knows all his letters and the letter sounds... colors...numbers... and he can count up to twenty with no problem.  He has an incredible memory, and is able to complete our 50 states puzzle almost completely on his own, telling us about who lives in each state while he does it.  He's also gotten really good at writing his name, and can write almost all of the letters from memory.  He is very excited to go to real preschool this next year!
• Landon loves singing. He has a distinct "singing" voice, and enjoys it when other's "sing" along with him. He also loves to pretend to lead the music in church. To an outsider, this may just look like random flailing--but I promise, that's what he's trying to do. Landon still loves singing.  He learns the words to songs very quickly, and I've noticed recently that every once in awhile he actually gets the pitch correctly.  Even if the pitch isn't correct, I can tell he makes an effort to change pitch (higher and lower) correctly.  He also loves dancing to music with a good beat. Landon still loves music.  He knows many songs word for word and doesn't mind singing them.  He sang with the Primary in Sacrament Meeting for the first time on Mother's Day this year, and was well behaved and actually sang.  It was very cute!
• Landon is a fabulous older brother.  He does get irritated with Spencer every once in awhile, but mostly he is a very good helper--getting burp rags, diapers, toys, etc.  He always wants to hold Spencer and give him kisses. He really enjoys sharing a room with Spencer because he got pretty lonely before.  Landon continues to amaze me with how wonderful of a brother he is to Spencer.  Sure, they argue on a daily basis, but I can tell that he loves his little "brudder" more than anything else in the world.  They laugh together every day.  He teaches Spencer things every day.  He cheers Spencer on in the things he's doing.  I hope they continue to have such a great friendship forever!
• Landon looooooves asking questions.  All. Day. Long.  I can tell the wheels in his head are spinning constantly.  He really wants to understand exactly why things are the way they are.  He likes to be right about things.
• Landon is extremely competitive.  He enjoys being fast and strong, and is usually heartbroken if he loses a race.  We're still working on being a gracious loser... ;)

So there you have it, Landon.  You are one of my most favorite people, and you bring joy to all those around you, especially those in your family and extended family.  Thank you for making me a mother four years ago.  You are one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I cherish each day we spend together--usually while you're fast asleep, but still.  I hope you know how special you are to me.  We waited so long to finally get you here to our family, and it has been more worth it than I could have ever imagined.  Please don't ever leave me to go to kindergarten, okay??

I love you forever,

Mom