Declan Kolbe is Five

We awoke yesterday morning to Declan running into our bedroom proclaiming "I'm five years old now!"  We hugged him and asked him if he felt bigger and he said "No, yesterday i couldn't reach the spot on the wall, and today I still can't reach it."  Well, can't argue with that logic!  He also reminded me that I forgot to put him in a box last night.  Before you call child services, I always threaten to put my kids into a box so that they can't grow up.  Will they have to go to therapy about it one day?  Probably.  Just add it to the list of ways mom loved us too much ;)

We all got ready for work/school and headed out the door to Dunkin Donuts, because Lenten fasts don't apply on family birthdays, duh.  All of the other kids asked for a double chocolate donut (well, Brendan ordered a "hmmmmmm, hmmmmmm, bubble chocolate!", same dif) and Declan asked for "you know that donut with the thing on top of the hole that I saw that time we got the sausage and egg sandwich thingy on a bagel and you said I couldn't get the donut that I wanted?"  Huh??  I decided to take Declan in with me so he could pick.  When we got to the counter, I told the girl working that it was his birthday, and she told all of the other workers and they all said happy birthday which made my shy little man very quiet.  Somebody yelled out that he should get a free donut, and they asked him which one he wanted.  He hemmed and hawed while I ordered the other kid's donuts and some munchkins for his preschool class, and decided on this one:

Of course.

I dropped them all off at school and he happily ran in with his munchkins.  He ended up bringing home the uneaten munchkins, and so generously shared them with all of us for an afternoon snack.  Declan has been telling us for weeks that he wanted Wendy's for dinner on his birthday, followed by a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream.  When I picked up Wendy's for a quick dinner last week, he got very sad and said "Does this mean I can't have Wendy's on my birthday?"  What a sweetheart!  He wanted to eat IN Wendy's so we all (minus JP who was studying for a Chemistry test) went out to celebrate in style:

We came home and let him open his first present....

How do you like the Christmas wrapping paper?  He didn't seem to mind!

A new scooter!

We went inside for cake and ice cream and presents with Gammy and Grandpa and Haley.  I threw some Mario cake toppers on at the last minute and he was enthralled by his "SO COOL" cake (baked by Dad, gotta give credit to that man of mine!)

The secret to creating the best loved birthday cakes? 

Keep everyone's expectations low.

I've been doing that for years.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, dear Declan, happy birthday to you!

 Then it was present time!  He got $5 and a new shirt and a matching word game and two bubble guns, which he declared "This one's mine, and this one's Brendan's and then we'll switch!"

He was very excited to see if he got the two gifts he asked for, a fast remote control car, and a talking reindeer that had buttons to push.

One out of two ain't bad.

I couldn't find a reindeer, BUT I did find this minion that talks:

Not only does it say funny minion things...

...it also makes toot noises, which is HYSTERICALLY FUNNY to this 5 year old.  He would wave his hand as if it smelled and laugh forever.  

Declan, you are such a sweet, funny, shy little boy.  I had much anxiety during my pregnancy with you, and I believe that you are a nervous nelly because of it (Phil says no, but a mom can guilt).  You smile so easily and tattle so hard.  You love potty humor, playing outside, bossing around Brendan, coloring, eating snacks but not meals, and pretending you know how to read.  You recently told me you need to eat more food so that your pants would stop falling down.  It's a real problem.  You love to run and jump but your asthma gets in the way sometimes and scares your mommy.  You are still such a cuddly kid and ask to sit in my lap at Mass and how could I ever refuse my little Declan Kolbe who made me wait forever to be born?  We love you so much and can't wait to see you grow into your 5T pants :)  Happy Birthday to our 6th child, a joy in our lives.