Another birthday and a surprise!

The birthday season continues with my little man turning 7!  One of my favorite things to do is look back at old pictures of Mitch when he was just our little baby/toddler.  It seems like so long ago, and just the other day, all at once. 

We celebrated Mitch's birthday as a family 3 days early this year because I was going to be out of town on his actual birthday.  He didn't mind that, as he was excited to have 2 special days!

Before school, doing his homework on his "birthday."  Even birthday boys have to do homework.

After school, I asked Mitch what he wanted for his birthday dinner.  The winning meal?  Ramen Noodles.  Easy to make and he was so thrilled.

After our gourmet meal, it was time for gifts.

This Seahawk's obsessed fan was so excited for another Seahawk shirt.

Mitch had one cute little helper.

This boy has been in a Ninja Turtle stage for just over a year.  His favorite turtle is Raphael and he has Raph's weapon set, but he played with them so much that they broke, and he has been desperately wanting new ones.  Turtle Power!

For his next gift, we headed down to the basement to unwrap an odd shaped pile.

This growing boy has been in need of a bigger bike for quite a few months.

Afterwards we headed back upstairs for one final gift.

Huh??

Mitch (and everyone else) will be getting a new baby next year!  He didn't quite know what to think of that!

Yes, that's right- Team Andros is getting its 6th Man team player in April 2015.  Chloe yelled out "I knew it!" (and I knew she suspected, as she has been coming home to find me on the couch almost every afternoon after school).  The rest of the kids seemed kind of confused, and didn't really catch on until the next day.  They already have a baby (Olivia) and they didn't understand that there was ANOTHER one coming.  Mitch can't wait to find out if he is FINALLY getting his brother.  We will be thrilled either way.  

Is he really 7?

Mitch picked a cheesecake this year as his cake of choice.  His parents were thrilled with that choice!

He requested to light his own candle.

I left out of town the next day, but his birthday week of fun continued on without me.

The next day, a gift arrived in the mail from his cousin Carter- a fun Lego set!

Ben's parents watched the kids while I was out of town and Nana bought Mitch these Frankenstein cupcakes on his actual birthday.  Lucky boy!

A gift from Grandma and Papa Blakeslee arrived on his actual birthday- a Raphael Ninja Turtle set that he's been wanting!

It was so fun for Mitch to have Nana and Papa there with him on his birthday.  They also brought him his very own BB gun.  He feels like a real man now!

Grandma Cynde also stopped by on his birthday and brought him his very own head lamp and a massive bag of candy (which was all gone in 3 days!) 

This sweet boy had such a fun birthday week.  We love our Mitch Man and are proud of what he is growing up to be.  He loves any and all sports.  He loves to play with Leah and teach her all of his Ninja and sporting skills.  He is an excellent student and we have been told a very kind and responsible kid in class.  He is definitely the class clown at home and will do anything for a laugh.  We love his clever jokes and sense of humor, but he is still learning the appropriate and inappropriate times to be silly.  He has lots of energy (especially after being so good at school) that it is often hard for him to sit still at home and stay focused.  He is a great helper and loves to help Ben with "man" chores.  He often (very often) has to be reminded to stay on task with homework and household chores.  He inherited a "slow gene" when it comes to a lot of things, but he is learning!  He loves to write and has such neat handwriting.   He still loves numbers and continues to impress us with his ability to remember the ages of anyone who tells them how old they are.  He loves being able to read and does a great job of reading quietly in bed in the evenings.  He has become quite interested in money and loves to put new earnings in his wallet and add up how much he has.  If he was allowed, he would probably spend every penny he has on candy.  He still has a great love for animals and learning about different kinds of random animals, and relay the facts to anyone who will listen.  He is a deep thinker and asks very thought provoking questions.  His latest question is "Who created God?"  We have tried to answer that question to the best of our abilities, but he wishes there was an outright answer.  He has recently taken an interest in cooking and wants to cook things all by himself.  His "go-to meals" are scrambled eggs and Ramen Noodles (he made his own birthday dinner this year).  He loves being able to make his own sandwiches (not as good with the cleaning up part) and anything else we will let him make on his own.  He begs to help in the kitchen, but with an older sister who loves to cook/bake as well, the "too many cooks in the kitchen" dilemma kicks in quite a bit in this family.  He has a tender heart and loves to give, and can be crushed by a harsh answer or a teasing remark directed at him.  We love this boy!  Happy Birthday to my favorite son!  You keep us laughing and fill our home with lots of joy!