More than a Hand {Tobin's 6th Birthday}

Just like that, Tobin turned six!  No longer can he answer the question, "How old are you?" by raising one hand with each finger outstretched.  :)

Since his birthday so helpfully landed on a Sunday this year, we had a little more time than usual to celebrate.  Plus, in a bonus pointed out by Josiah, Tobin got to open his gifts about six hours earlier than he would have during a "normal" birthday when we would have had to wait until supper for our celebration.  :)  Too bad his birthday can't be on a Sunday every year.  ;-)

I'll (mostly) let the pictures speak for themselves...

That didn't last long!  I thought of something I needed to say.  ;-)  As always, the birthday boy's brothers were so excited and involved in all that was going on...

...and I loved seeing the joy on their faces, too.  :)

 A musical Star Wars card...

 His own container of bubble gum...  :)

 A big (bigger than it looks in this picture because his hand is hiding most of it) twirly lollipop...

 His very own markers (they happen to be scented)--this was a special request of his because he has long admired Josiah's very own, not-to-be-used-by-little-brothers markers...  ;-)

 10 chocolate "coins"...

 A Hiccup figurine (from How to Train Your Dragon)...both David and Shav chose to get a Toothless dragon with their Christmas money from Grandma Fisher, but we didn't have anyone to ride on Toothless, but now we have Hiccup, and all is well...(I realize that all sounds ridiculous if you're not familiar with the movie)...  ;-)

We saw this happy, surprised expression on Tobin's face a lot today...  :)

 A wooden dinosaur kit...and there was also a Mickey Mouse letter practice workbook in that bag...

 The most exciting gift perhaps? A Star Wars LEGO set...  :)

 And a stuffed dinosaur, which is sleeping in Tobin's bed at this very moment...  :)

 The other gift, which isn't pictured, is putty.  Since Josiah and David each have putty, Tobin wanted to have some, too.  :)

Tobin was so excited to help me make the cake this morning, and he had very specific ideas of how he wanted it to look.  Rather than try to recreate the image in his head (that I, of course, couldn't see), I said, "Would you like to decorate the cake?"  :)

 He took his job very seriously...

...and I enjoyed seeing his creativity at work as he placed candles and trees and arranged dinosaurs just so.  :)

As our tasty birthday lunch (of steak, creamed corn, peaches, chips & salsa, and chocolate birthday cake) neared its end, Jeff had one last special gift for Tobin:  a trip to Massanutten Waterpark TODAY.  THIS VERY AFTERNOON.  RIGHT THEN!!!

You should have heard the boys holler and yell.  They were a tiny bit excited.  ;-)

I was excited, too--by the four free passes to the waterpark that were graciously given to us (for which we were extremely grateful!) and for the chance to stay home with Moriah while Jeff took the boys out.  I'd been eager to find a good-sized block of time in which to tackle a major cleaning/organization of Tobin and Shav's room, including sorting through piles of clothes in the top of their closet which had been too big for Tobin when I first put them there but which were likely to fit him now (some of them, at least).  It was a sizable project, but I'm happy to report that I got it all done--the whole project, finished!  There are many times when I just crave that sense of accomplishment, and the completion of that project today gave me quite a boost.

I was thinking that when Tobin got home, I'd say, "I have another birthday gift for you, Tobin--a clean and organized room!"  :)  But then I thought, "Who am I kidding?  Doing that project was really a gift to ME, not him."  ;-)

The boys were so exhausted from their afternoon at the waterpark that it didn't take them long at all to fall asleep tonight; in fact, Shav drifted off while I was still working in his room, sorting through the last pile of clothes.  When I returned to their rooms a short time after we said goodnight, all four were sleeping soundly; and the smell of chlorine was strong in their rooms--a reminder of an extra-special, very pleasant, completely unexpected afternoon on Tobin's sixth birthday.  :)