Ben IS 5!!!

This is so crazy.  My baby is 5.  I am a mom of "older" kids.  I haven't changed a diaper in 2 years.  I haven't used a stroller in 1.  I knew it would be true from the beginning, but I love parenting older kids.
They are so fun.
Ben's birthday celebrations lasted several days.

It started when he came out of his room on his birthday and said, "Shouldn't you be wrapping my presents mom?"  So I sent him to look at the table...full of wrapped presents.  He came flying back to the office and gave me the biggest hug while repeating, "Thank you, thank you," over and over.  It was worth every bit of shopping I did.
He got (as Sarah later said), shoes that were to small, goggles that were too small, and bath toys that weren't electric.  But he grew to like the bath toys and yesterday we bought new goggles and shoes.  This kid has been growing like a weed.  I had to get him new pajamas and clothes, when just a few weeks ago I thought he'd be set for the summer.  For weeks he has been planning what he would eat on his birthday.  For breakfast he chose Apple Jacks. It was also a fun surprise that Daddy came home from work early to eat and open presents with us.

For lunch he chose McDonald's.  It was a bit disappointing that we had to go through the drive-thru.  But he got to eat his plain burger and gogurt.  My kids that could use every calorie they could get don't eat the fries.  Then for dinner we went to Family Pancake house with Grammy and Grandpa Norton.

Hot chocolate for his birthday treat at dinner.  (He didn't actually drink it, of course).  But he did eat most of his waffle with whipped cream and butter.

For his treat he spent much time deliberating.  He finally decided on a BB8 "cake" of rice crispie treat.  I was delighted.  Easy to make and delicious to eat.  

Oh yeah, and Derek had a birthday too (on the day I left for the DR).  So we had a joint DBN 3 and DBN 4 celebration on Sunday.  Derek chose vanilla chocolate chip homemade ice cream for his treat.  (Ben blew out Derek's candles while he was deciding what to wish for, ha!)

For Ben's "Friend party," he brought his two buddies to the ZOO!  We went to the zoo in Tacoma, and it was really cool.  Zoo and Aquarium in one.  

The weather was good/bad/terrible/good all day.  But it kept the crowds down.  We got to touch a skink, (Libby:  "Is that skink venomous?"), armadillo, opossum, and hedgehog.  The shark tank was especially awesome.  

Up close with the Elephants.  

Dairy Queen for the birthday treat!  What a week for this 5 year old!