With Wes' birthday only three weeks before, Thad was pretty anxious to see what his day had in store. Wes could hardly stand that it was Thad's birthday and kept saying, "It's my birthday! Where's my presents?" It was pretty annoying, but I guess that's what three-year-olds do and we made it through just fine. :)
Both boys got ready in record time as they were excited to see what was waiting downstairs!
Nothing too fancy, as you can see, but a big box of Lucky Charms creates some excitement in young boys that don't get candy cereal for breakfast all that often!
Thad was so excited about all things being basketball and I don't think that smile left his face all morning for more than a few seconds.
It is so rewarding when it's the simple things that produce those big grins on their faces. It reminds me that I don't have to stress and go over board, but think of what he likes and what interests him and that will do the trick. Easy does it.
He was pretty anxious to open presents and was happy to hear he didn't have to wait until after school to do it! He and Dad were heading to the Longhorns basketball game that night so it was the only time we were all going to be together.
Thad and Wes have picked up some pretty bad knock knock joking skills, so we thought this book might give him some material that actually made sense. He was pretty pleased with the punch lines as you can see!
Wes spoiled his gift the day we bought it, but Thad acted excited nonetheless!
Wes did a good job picking this out, even though he went on and on asking when/if it was time to go to the pool. Good thing he has a cute face...
Grandma Teresa and Grandpa Russ finally gave Thad a place to store all his cards (Pokemon, Ninjago, etc) and added some more to his collection!
He had so much fun checking out the all-star basketball cards and was most excited about K.D. being in there!
Speaking of K.D. ...
"Thunderstruck" was the movie he picked to watch at his movie night birthday party, and paying $4.32 for it on Amazon didn't seem too bad.
To continue on with the basketball theme-
Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Kent gifted these bad boys. It was a major hit and we even let Thad be late to school so he could play a little longer with Wes.
We had to get some pictures with the birthday boy before sending him off to school-
And after sending him off, Wes and I worked on these little gems for Thad to pass out to his class:
They aren't the fanciest and I debated about paying someone to make some pretty ones, but I didn't think 5 and 6-year-olds would care enough. Thad loved them and that's all that matters!
We surprised him with a lunch date at school and he was so excited when he saw us all walk in together. He isn't over the top and didn't jump for joy when he saw us, but his eyes lit up in happy surprise and I was glad we decided to come.
Eve was a sleepyhead the whole time, but Thad loved peeking in at her a few times and was just happy she was there. These two...I just love them!
When I went to meet him after school, I could tell basketball was still on the brain-
Never a bad time to be brushin' up on your skills, right?!
As you can see, it was a beautiful day in Texas and we didn't waste much time inside.
Thad requested this photo shoot and did the posing all on his own.
Before we went to McDonald's for dinner and to meet dad down on campus, we invited Braden and Brody in to decorate and enjoy a basketball cookie.
Eve really wanted one of those cookies!
After a quick dinner at McDonald's, the kids and I drove to campus to drop Thad off with dad. He was so excited for his father-son outing on his birthday and they had a blast not only watching the game, but just being together.
They sure make an awesome pair.
And before we knew it, this boys sixth birthday had come to an end and he was as happy as could be about it all! He thought it was awesome that Wes was already in bed when he got home at 9:30 and loved telling me all about the mascots playing each other in basketball and eating popcorn with dad.
It makes me happy to see this boy happy, and we were both happy at the end of the day, so I call that a success.
Thad's Basketball Movie Night
The celebrations didn't stop there, and two nights later we had the boys from the cul de sac over to watch "Thunderstruck" and have pizza with us.
Dax.Tyson.Little Brayden.Brody.Griffin.Thad.Big Braden.
Wes
It wasn't all that easy keeping 8 boys' attention with one movie, but Thad, Tyson and Big Braden kept their anger about the youngens being loud while playing with toys at bay. They had fun watching the movie and were so excited to open presents when it was over! I thought they would want cake and ice cream first, but presents it was!
Thad has loved this mini hoop and spends a lot of extra time in his room practicing his moves!
This boy is loved and spoiled. That is for sure.
And to top it all off--The cake!
I'm not sure of the wish that went through that boys' mind, but I sure hope it comes true!
Thad is such a light in our family and it's crazy to think he has been with us for 6 years, but it's like I can't remember a time without him. He is the perfect big brother for this family of ours.
Six things I adore about our Thaddeus:
6. His basketball obsession.
It has been so fun to see his own loves and interests develop.
5. His love of learning.
This boys loves learning new facts and mastering new skills. His love of reading continues to grow.
4. His positive energy.
His energy is always high when he comes home from a long day at school or when his dad walks in the door and I love that.
3. His forgiving heart.
I know most children are quick to forgive, but it still amazes me every time when I know I have wronged him and he so quickly forgives me. Same goes for his brother and dad. His sister has yet to upset him in any way, but I have no doubts it will be the same.
2. Sister love.
Thad loves that Eve of ours and I love watching him love her.
1. His quiet confidence.
I worry about Thad feeling drowned out or over shadowed by that charismatic Wes of ours, but he doesn't mind it one bit. He loves watching the entertainment with the rest of us! Every time we go to the school, his whole class greets Wes with cheers and hugs and he can just laugh along with me because he is confident without having all the attention. I told him I wasn't sure if I was going to bring Wes along to the Valentine's party because he's so crazy, and he said,"It's ok, mom, I love having him!" That is one awesome brother.
Happy sixth birthday to our favorite oldest brother!
