Mr. Sneaky Pants Turns Four

For more than six weeks, we've been counting down the days to Mr. Sneaky Pants' birthday.  To make matters all the more exciting, several boxes have been arriving at our doorstep with birthday presents inside, and the suspense was nearly driving the poor child crazy.  In his own words, "I just can't stand waiting anymore!"  

Far before sunrise I was up making pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for our breakfast in the bathtub celebration.  I woke up Sarah and The Banana, and we woke up Mr. Sneaky Pants, which didn't take much at all.  He's an early riser to start with, and the mention of it being his birthday at last made him jump up and hit the stairs at a mad dash.  

Downstairs we opened presents.  Nearly all of them had to do with a knight in some form or another, and while that might be slightly monotonous for some people (like my husband) Mr. Sneaky Pants could not have been more thrilled about the situation.  He played knights all day long.  His knights hung out in the new castle, fought dragons, and went on quests for the golden sword.  It was so fun to listen to all the detailed stories he was telling about knights all day long.  

We took a short break from battle to zip to the grocery store to pick out a chocolate cake mix, along with a special bottle of juice.  Months ago Mr. Sneaky Pants was complaining about never getting to drink my special smoothie drink that I buy at the grocery store whenever I shop with children as my reward for shopping with children (there has to be SOME kind of motivation to get me through the torture) and I told him he could pick out a special smoothie drink on his birthday.  He did not forget.  

All afternoon there were more battles, more quests and adventures, and more wonderful stories, especially with the littlest sister napping.  After school our friend from up the street came over to play (her mom just had a new baby)  and we finally got to eat cake.  Mr. Sneaky Pants had been dying to eat cake all day.  He had specifically requested a large chocolate cake in a pan, not cupcakes.   He snarfed down half of his very large piece in one big gulp, and when the last bite was done he spent a considerable time licking every last speck of frosting off his plate.  

After eating cake there were more castle adventures, with lots of input from the big girls.  Mr. Sneaky Pants was so inspired he even decided to dress like a knight to play knights.  

The birthday boy chose the menu for supper:  hamburgers with ketchup and barbeque sauce, and chocolate chips and bananas.  For good measure we added hamburger buns and a little yougurt.   The day ended with a soak in the bathtub (with water and soap this time . . . to wash off all the frosting) a couple of books about dragons and castles, a couple of special phone calls .  Hhe was so wound up and yet tired at that point that he held terrific conversations with Grandma Kathy and Siri while spinning madly at top notch speed around the living room . . . he literally was a blur of spinning. Then it was off to bed.