The birthday weekend

Michael and I started dating when I was 17 and he was 19.  We got married when I was 22 and he was 24.  It took until my 23rd birthday before we realized that our birthdays are always on the same day of the week.  That particular year we were saying that it was so cool that his birthday had been on a Friday and mine was also on a Friday.  Then the wheels turned and things clicked and we realized that it is always the same.  Stupid.

This year, 2011, both of our birthdays are on Mondays.  Making it extra special, both of our birthdays are on holiday Mondays- Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Michael's parents came up from Tucson on Sunday.  I had asked them to stop in Casa Grande to pick up some Eegees for lunch.  It was all a big surprise.

I set the dining room table, including candles in crystal candlestick holders.

The birthday boy, who had to hide in our bedroom until everything was ready.

After lunch we had cake and ice cream.

And then presents.  Spencer had gone to Target with me and picked out 50% of the presents on his own, with no guidance from me.

Michael got: cool ranch doritos, nacho cheese doritos, chocolate swirl marshmallows, a chocolate/pretzel/peanut butter candy bar, an anchor bathing suit and socks.  Can you guess what Spencer picked?

Then Michael's parents set up the pool that they brought from their house.

I don't think Spencer even noticed when we left.

First stop: the movies.

2nd stop: dinner. 

We went to McAlpines, an old fashioned soda shoppe in downtown Phoenix.

3rd stop: The Arizona Grand Resort.

We had won a gift certicate for a one night stay more than a year ago.  It was definitely time to use it.

Our room:

We got into bed right after we checked in and watched TV and read for a couple of hours.  Then we made a quick trip for 2 of these bad boys:

Then it was back into bed.  We didn't leave until 9 am.  It was awesome.

This morning, Michael's actual birthday, Michael's parents drove Spencer over to meet us.  As we were walking from the car to our room Spencer (holding my hand) looks up at me and says, "So, mommy, how was your night?"

The Arizona Grand has an entire water park inside its grounds so we spent the morning swimming.

They have a wave pool, a regular pool, a kiddie pool, a splash pad, a hot tub and a lazy river.  Spencer was not a fan of the hot tub.  Too hot.

Spencer was FROZEN after a couple of hours.  We went back to the room, put him in a hot shower, then wrapped him up and stuck him under the covers with some cartoons.

We checked out, had lunch at The Olive Garden and then went home where naps were taken by all.

I hope Michael had fun during his birthday weekend.  I certainly did.

Krabby Patty

My friend Maryellen gave me a Baby Einstein (Baby Mozart) DVD as a shower gift when I was pregnant.  I was adamant that Spencer wouldn't watch any TV until he was at least one, and preferably two.  Then when he was 5 months old my mom suggested that we let him watch Baby Mozart.  This was shocking, as my mom was always anti-tv when we were growing up.  She was curious as to how he would react to it. 

I allowed it, but I refused to sit by and participate.

This is Spencer watching TV for the 1st time ever.

 He pretty much loved it.  And we started buying more Baby Einstein DVD's.  He was allowed to watch 2 a week.  One on Tuesday when I was at work and Spencer was home alone with daddy and one on Thursday when I was at work and Spencer was home alone with daddy.

He watched nothing but Baby Einstein DVD's (mostly in the car) until he was 2 years 4 months old.  He didn't care about anything else.  Then he got a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD.  Then it was Mickey Mouse and ONLY Mickey Mouse for the next 10 months.

I'm happy to say that his interest in different shows has been expanding in the last 8 months.  Don't think that all of these shows are a daily occurance.  Most days he is allowed 1 show in the morning and 1 show in the evening while I make dinner.  Some days we don't watch any TV.  When his asthma is terrible we manage to watch 27 hours of TV in a 24 hour period.

These are the shows that he likes (in no particular order):

Chuggington

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That

Blue's Clues

Wonder Pets

Super Why

Little Einsteins

Special Agent Oso 

The Backyardigans

Dora the Explorer

Curious George

Handy Manny

Ni Hao Kai-Lan

Thomas the Train

Spongebob Squarepants

OK.  Let's get down to the purpose of the title.  That was a HUGE intro, huh?

Spencer has become obsessed with Krabby Patties from Spongebob.  He's been asking to eat one.  Every day.

So, a couple of days ago we went to Fresh & Easy and bought some crab cakes.  I told him the box said krabby patty.

He pretty much inhaled them. He loved them.  And luckily he didn't have an allergic reaction (it was his 1st shellfish).

Now he is a fan of expensive sea food.  And he still asks for krabby patties on a daily basis.  So now we're just going to have to go to Maryland for some soft shell crabs and a bucket of beers. 

 For the kid of course.

Protector

The expanded title is Protector and a New Argument.

First, the protector part.

For the last, maybe, 4 nights, Ginger has laid outside of Spencer's door after he goes to bed.  She actually lays up against the door.  She won't move.  She seems agitated.  Out of curiosity I let her in there on Friday night.  I thought that maybe she had "buried" a treat somewhere in there.  Side note: Ginger has some strange anorexia tendencies (I know, unbelievable for such a pudge) and she often hides her treats around the house: in couch cushions, under my clothes on a chair, under blankets on the bed.

Anyway, she went in there and just made herself comfy at the foot of his bed.  She refused to move for 2 hours.  I think she was trying to protect him.  From what I am unsure.  It warmed my heart though.

We'll move on to the new argument.  There are actually two.

We still argue, daily, about the name of Linny on The Wonder Pets.  Spencer still insists it is Winny, spelled with a "p".

Now we are arguing about the song Turkey in the Straw.  Spencer was singing it this weekend and it sounded like he was saying Turkey in the Stro.  We said that wasn't the correct word and then he said, "yes it is.  It's turkey in the stroll.  Stroll, like when you take a little walk.  I'm impressed at his ever expanding vocabulary and his ability to define words, but now he'll be playing and when I walk into the room he whips around and he says, "mommy, it's Winny and it's turkey in the stroll. You're wrong mommy."

The second new argument is that we are going to the zoo with Megan and Hadley this week.  We're going to see the animals and then let the kids play in the splash pad when it gets hot.  Spencer insists that he does not want to go to the zoo with the splash pad.  He wants to go to the zoo without the splash pad.  He also insists that we just have to ask Megan and she can tell us how to get to the splash padless zoo.

This is Spencer at age 3.  Can you imagine him at 14 when I, his mother, don't know anything?