For Bryce's birthday, we had homemade waffles and syrup for breakfast. Later, Barry took him go-carting and picked up Bryce's supper pick, pizza, of course. He wanted Thomas birthday cake, so I used the train cake pan to make an engine and two coaches. Bryce closely supervised the coloring of the icing. "Perfect!" he exclaimed when I finally got it right. He said he had a great birthday. We had fun, too, making the day special for him.
On Bryan's birthday, we visited the fire station a few blocks from our house. I'd called ahead to make arrangements and to let them know it was his birthday. Bryan's hero is Fireman Sam, so we thought a visit to some real firemen would be appropriate. After our visit, we went to McDonald's so the kids could run and slide, then back home for cake and presents. Bryan had a good day, and everyone enjoyed the fire staton trip.
Here are the boys' days in pictures. I'm also including a few non-birthday photos because, well, my kids are cute and do the funniest things. :)
Brady and Sam are buddies. Actually, Sam is friends with anyone who has food. Brady decided Sam needed to be fork-fed the rest of my tuna salad. And Sam loved the attention.
So the kids aren't allowed to eat strawberries anywhere in the house except the table, right? Well, Bryan, in his little defiant attitude, decided that wasn't OK. He stole the whole quart of strawberries out of the fridge and invited Brady to join him outside. I found them sitting under the tree eating "bawberries." We now have a chain lock on the top of the back door, and I'm trying to find a fridge lock that Bryan can't figure out. But at least he chose a healthy item to swipe, even if I didn't get my strawberry shortcake.
From Bryce's birthday:
Finally! The much-coveted collapsing Sodor suspension bridge! Bryce had been begging for this for over a year. He was so excited to finally have it!
Bryce had to set up his new destinations immediately. Toby's windmill (from Nana & Papaw) and the collapsing Sodor suspension bridge were first. He added the new oil depot and barrel loader later (from GranMary & Papa Rod). And his new trains, Ben & Bill and the fog cars, enjoyed the improved track design.
Even clothes are a great gift when they're Thomas-inspired! Thanks, GranMary & Papa Rod!
Bryce loved his Thomas cake!
From Bryan's birthday:
Brady followed the other kids into the cab, circus peanut in hand.
At first, Bryan didn't want to get in the truck or look at the helmets. But once he got in and tried on a helmet, we couldn't get him out. He played with the visor and situated the heavy headgear so it sat comfortably. It took us a good 10 minutes to get him out! He even tried to buckle himself in!
Bryan wanted to touch everything. The chief commented that if the equipment hadn't been bolted down, Bryan would've pulled it out. Amazing how he knew our kids so well. :) Later he told us that Bryan reminded him of his son, now grown and following in his dad's footsteps. He'd just joined the department. Bryan could choose a worse vocation. :)
"Look, Mama! A hose!" Bryan pulled and pulled but couldn't get the hose to budge. Eventually he gave up.
The chief on duty gave each of the kids a plastic fireman hat with their name on it.
All the kids loved the fire station. Sydney made the firemen open all the storage doors, and she pointed out what things were. "That's the jaws of life, just like Fireman Sam has! That's...." Bryce, though, was more of a critic. He looked at the engine and said, "Are you sure you shined this? It's not shiny enough." Poor firemen! One said, "Well, we shine the engine every morning. It's evening now." The other said, "Ah, a critic." Our Thomas knowledge is showing itself in new ways every day. Brady climbed in the truck (or tried to) and found everything fascinating. Of course anything with buttons and lights is cool to him. We were, for the record, invited to come back any time we wanted. Bryan said all night, "I don' wan' 'o go home. I wan' go 'ire 'tashun!" We think he would've moved in had he been invited.
Bryan loves his Fireman Sam doll! Thanks, Nana & Papaw! (They had a friend pick up the gifts in the UK.) He loves the book, Fireman Sam to the Rescue, too. In the book, Bella, the Italian restraunt owner, says, "Mama mia!" Bryan says that now, too, when he gets frustrated. I wish I could record it for you to hear.
Fireman Sam toys and Jay Jay buildings were Bryan's dream presents. GrandMary & Papa Rod ordered the Fireman Sam toys from the UK. He plays with them all day long. Every day. And no one else is allowed to play with Fireman Sam and his truck (named Jupiter)--they have to play with Nurse Flood and the ambulance. Tom and the helicopter and Penny, Fireman Sam's firefighter friend, are off limits, too. We'll be ordering more toys from that UK site for Christmas since Fireman Sam isn't the 'thing' in the US. He also liked getting the Big Hanger for Jay Jay's big plane friends. Jay Jay's control tower talks. Bryan kept turning the crank, saying, "Benda Boo!" I think Brenda Blue is his first crush. Hannah Montana is his second, but that's another post.
Bryan loved how his fire truck birthday cake looked. But he's not much of a cake eater--more of a cake admirer. The other kids ate some for him, though.
