Harrison is 1!

Last Saturday we celebrated Harrison's first birthday!  What a blend of emotions with this significant milestone!  It is so much fun to see him becoming a little boy instead of just a squishy baby, and all of us love how he's beginning to feel like one of the gang!  We had family and a few close friends over to help us celebrate!


"It's my birthday!"  (Thanks for the cute shirt, Aunt Mary Ann!)


I tried to think of a "theme" that was fun for a one year old, so we went with bubbles.  He thinks they're pretty silly!


The older kids had fun playing with a Beeboo, the toy that holds the world record for biggest bubble.  It made sweet  bubbles, but broke after about an hour of light use, so that was a bummer!


We had a bubble machine going the whole time, and it was especially popular with the younger crowd. (Side note:  we tried Gazillion Bubbles solution, and I won't buy any other brand now!  The best, even better than the homemade solution I tried with glycerin, dish soap, and sugar!)


The older kids got pipe cleaners to make their own bubble wands, but as with anything that resembles a stick, they quickly became weapons.


Worst picture of me ever, but Harrison looks cute!


When I put his cake down in front of him, of course it had to first be explored with that middle finger!


Instead of the instant smush that we expected, he ate a few handfuls like a civilized young man.








You could almost see the sugar at work.  His mood perked up, and as the seconds passed, he became more and more ready to get the party started!


There's the cake mayhem we were looking for (I can just hear his squeal in this picture)!




"Karate...


CHOP!"


"What IS this glorious stuff?!"


Bath #2 of many that day!




This picture melts me!


We got him a Rockin' Rider Pony for his birthday.  He's warming up to it. :)


Nana and Papa gave him this reindeer bouncer, and he loves it, especially for using it as a stool to get up onto the sofa!


He didn't quite know what to make of all the attention from the big kids during present time.  (Look!  The Dollar Tree bag with the three P's is making the rounds!)


I used to wonder where Harrison got those expressive eyebrows.  This picture puts two and two together!


Even though the cake was fun, our little eater was in an especially good mood once he got some real food!






Gotta tickle those little piggies under the high chair!  Those two top teeth kill me!


After another bath, it was back to playing with his presents!  We all had such a fun and memorable day together.  Happy first birthday, Harrison!  We love you!

Big changes of pace around here since my last blog post!  We have welcomed the beginning of the school year!  Both kids like the structure of their days and are ready for the weekends when they arrive, and I can say the same.  I love that I can get stuff done while they are gone so I am ready to be an engaged parent when they're home.  Anthony has been traveling back and forth from Jackson, Michigan to consult with a client.  He's been going for one week, then home for two.

I saw this little ditty at the end of last school year, and it cracked me up.  We are definitely still in the best part of the year - warm and sunny morning walks to the bus stop, homework hasn't begun in earnest yet, and the kids are still excited to go.  I'm sure by May we'll be ready for summer all over again!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/parents-at-the-beginning-of-the-school-year-vs-the-end#3k32xn8

Here are the kids on the first day of school!  I may or may not have been exasperatedly saying, "Can you two please just act like you like each other?!"  They did a pretty good job faking it, if I do say so myself!


Second grade!


First grade!


No tears at the bus stop!  The kids couldn't wait to see their friends!


At least I still get a little wave!  I wonder how many more years I have before I'm just an embarrassment! :P


Meanwhile at home, this little stink is into everything.  It's a challenge to keep up with him and get anything else done throughout the day, but that little head popping up all over the place is totally worth it!


He loves to play the piano.




We went to Tour De Fat again this year.  The kids decorated their bikes and rode for a bit with Papa, while Anthony entertained the riders and made lots of children cry as Darth Vader.














For years, Lucas (Luke for short) was at the top of our baby name list.  Of course, this was before I knew how Star Wars-centered our lives would be, so when pregnant with Harrison, I shot it down.  Anthony still occasionally calls Harrison his baby Luke.  I can just hear him saying, "Luke, I am your father" here.


The two older kids in school means that your friend can bring you creme brulee for breakfast and you can eat it slowly and enjoy every bite, like it should be eaten!  Don't have a friend that brings you creme brulee at 9 AM?  Find one at any cost.  It's a gamechanger.


Granted, the previous statement doesn't apply unless the baby is napping.  If you put him down for a minute to, say, make your bed or floss your teeth, this is the aftermath.  He's a quick little bugger.




I've said it before that the only thing I don't like about this house is that the open space behind us gives us lots of creatures to make friends with, like this giant orb spider that spun a web right by our back door.  We've destroyed the web over and over, but he's industrious and resilient, and just hangs out in the center, waiting for prey.  I have half a mind to smush him, but he does keep smaller bugs at bay, and really, who wants to try to smush a quarter-sized spider in mid air with the possibility of the web and spider getting on you?  NOT ME!


I can't believe my baby will be one in three days! I feel like Harrison's addition has changed everything about our lives, and though he keeps my head spinning, I wouldn't trade the chaos for anything!  We're having a little birthday party for him on Saturday, so stay tuned for inevitably adorable pics!