HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SAM!!!

Sam was super patient during the party. His friend Vance had a homemade dragon cake waiting for him and his singing was first, and Sam's cake was coming straight out of the freezer, thanks to Baskin Robbins, and had to come last. Sam just stood patiently and watched and was just pleased to have all of his friends and family around singing for him and enjoying the party. Go, Sam! I can't believe he is truly 5!!!

More Party Shots

Here are some more pictures from the party. Here you see me in the Dragon attire of viking hat and personalized T-shirt (thanks to Viviane, the much more organized mom).

Sam and Tyler Down the Water Slide

After seeing Tyler go with all of his friends down the slide, Sam was ready to take him down as well. Much fun had by all!

Down the Slide

Finally Tyler felt comfortable going down the slide with just about anyone. Here you can see Sam's friend, Zack, graciously taking Tyler down.

More Party Fun

I really got into the party as well, as you can see Tyler and I went down the water slide together (he was a bit apprehensive and truth be told, I really wanted to do it). No other mom was out there, so I was glad to represent.

Sam and Vance's Celebration

I decided to do a joint party this year with Sam's friend, Vance, another boy who is repeating his pre-K year as well due to the late September Bday. We had a How To Control Your Dragon themed party at Vance's house and really had a blast!!!

Visiting with the Lemurs

The Snake Farm also had a petting zoo with goats and chickens and sheep. The boys were also able to hold lemurs and monkeys, which was a real hit. They even 'pet' some very large turtles, Tyler was most happy about that one as they were behind a very large fence.

Snake Farm

The boys went to the Snake Farm with Martha and Alejandro and they had the time of their lives. Sam loved touching everything, including the albino python and the tarantula. He really wanted to touch the crocodile too, thankfully the handler told him it would be a bit dangerous. Tyler was a bit apprehensive at first, but then really enjoyed touching the animals, with only one finger.

Birthday Friends

We had Lauren and Ethan, Walker and Sadie, Christina and Leslie over for cake. Sam was thrilled. There is also a shot of the boys opening some great presents from Martha, including Dragon PJs and capes, very cool.

Happy Birthday to Sam

We had our neighbors over for some cake after school. Sam was so excited to see everyone and celebrate.

All around the Coffee Table

Fun in Dedham. Here you see the boys (including Jason and Billy and Simon) running around the coffee table with all of the valuables and very fragile items. Luckily, nothing fell (except for Sam and Jason) or broke.

I love Obini!

Oh, how can we make it in Texas without our Obi? Whenever we go walking in our neighborhood and we see dogs, Sam always says to the owner, "I have a dog too, but he's in Boston!"

Tikiyah Gidola!

In the spirit of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Tyler took it upon himself to be the resident shofar blower. Here you can see him practicing his Tykiyah Gidola, his favorite of the shofar blows.

Playdate with Aunt Cynnie and Uncle Lee

We had a great time in Dedham visiting Aunt Cynnie and Uncle Lee. What great hosts! We played golf, ran around the living room and had lots of great treats, like cupcakes and ice cream and even chocolate milk! Let's just say, the boys were said to leave. It was great to see Simon and Sophie and Billy and Robyn and Jason as well, what a bonus!

The New England Aquarium

We visited the aquarium the other day, took the T there, of course. The highlight was spending tons of time picking up hermit crabs and periwinkles and starfish at the small hands-on display on the top floor. We loved meeting Athena, the octopus, as well. We enjoyed lunch on the Rose Kennedy Throughway, thanks Boston for the Big Dig, we had a nice time eating where the old turnpike used to be.

Time on the T

One of our most favorite adventures was riding on the T, what an experience. We went through tunnels, over bridges and got to talk to tons of people, including the 'conductor'.

What Did You Find?

Again, just enjoying ourselves on the island.

Spectacle Island

You can see we had a great time on the ferry with Captain Casey, who tirelessly answered all of the boys questions about sharks, dolphins and sea turtles that the Captain had run into during his tenure on the ferries. Aside from the very helpful rangers, we were the only people on the island which was FILLED with sea glass, we must have filled an entire large bucket in a matter of minutes, but we had to leave it all there due to conservation efforts. Sam was filling his bucket with crabs, which he reluctantly threw back into the harbor prior to our departure. What a great day!

Spectacle Island

We had a great time taking a field trip to Spectacle Island, an island about 25 minutes ferry ride from Boston. Just getting there was half the fun, but once there, the island was full of seaglass and crabs and we loved exploring.

Going to the PATRIOTS!

Sam saw his first NFL game in Boston, where he watched the Pats cream the Bengals. He loved it and Jon, Alysha and Hannah outfitted him for the game in style. Robyn and Charlie treated him to a wonderful day, filled with mardi gras necklaces, popcorn, yogurt covered pretzels and lots of cheer. Thanks everyone!

Happy Birthday to ME???

Sam was shocked when a cake was brought out during the second day of Rosh Hashanah. He was singing along, not knowing who the cake was for, then realized that it was for him and was just delighted! We love surprises.

Playdates with Jason

We had a great time in Boston for many reasons, but one of the biggest was spending quality time with cousin, Jason. We went to the Patriots game with him (well at least Sam did), we went over his house and played trains, and we played with him in synagogue. We cannot wait to see him again!