Daniel's 5th Birthday

Daniel is five!

He had a party here at the house with some of his friends.  He requested an "orange" party and a digger cake.  We happily obliged with orange balloons, plates, etc. and the best digger cake we could make.  :)  There was a big group of kids - new neighbors (Garrison and Tessa), old neighbors (Noah, Christian, and Wyatt), soccer friends (Jonah & Lexi), and old friends (Riley, Aubrey, Lily, and Maddie).  Abuelo and Abuela were also here.  They played in the sandbox, painted, played with cars, threw water balloons, played tag, and ran in the sprinkler.  Every kid went home ridiculously dirty. The kids had fun - the parents maybe weren't as excited since most of them had to strip their kids down to their underwear before they left! 

Daniel got a ton of presents:

• sandbox - Daddy & Mommy (Daddy was the only one thanked because Daniel "realized that Mommy did not help make the sandbox.")
• motor grader - Abuelo & Abuela
• haul truck - Uncle Luis
• bug kit - Uncle Brian & Aunt Cristi
• clothes - Grandpa & Grandma
• Operation, crayons, & markers - Aunt Pam & Uncle Josh
• Cars activity book and digger matching game - Aunt Heather & Uncle Brian
• money - Grandma Fox
• Guess Who and a Sunday School song CD - Calvo family
• cars - Holmes family
• paint your own soccer ball kit and cars - Ellis family
• tool kit - Jones family
• John Deere grain cart - Black family

Daniel went in for his five year check-up this week.  He weighs 38.8 pounds and measures 43.5 inches.  He is an amazing kid and we love him like crazy!

on his actual birthday, eating pancakes for breakfast

 



 

headed out with the bug kit aunt cristi got him

the digger cake

 



 

blowing out five candles!

Daniel's Swimming Lessons

Daniel completed swimming lessons a few weeks ago.  Most of you know that Daniel has never really been one to like the water, so we did what any good parent would do and bribed him.  We told him that if he did well at every single swimming lesson (there were 8) by always trying what the teacher asked him to do and never crying, he could go to Nikki's Frozen Yogurt.  It worked like a charm!  Every time his teacher, Ms. Brooke, asked him to do something, he said he was ready!  He learned to float on his back (sort of) and go backward and forward using a kickboard.  He can't swim yet, but he made huge gains! Every time he would come out of the pool, he would say, "Mommy, can you please give me my towel so I can wipe my face?"  He still doesn't like water in his face, but he became more tolerant.  He even went off the diving board on the last day of class.  I'm going to try to attach the video of that, but I need David's help with it.  It's about a four minute clip - the anticipation is agonizing!