Happy Birthday, Josiah!

Today (Saturday) was Josiah's birthday party. The theme was "Josiah's favorite things" (thanks to my friend Carrie for helping me realize that there was actually a theme to it). Months ago Josiah became enthralled at the idea of birthdays. He loved the idea of presents, parties, but most of all...cakes. He loves to blow the candles out on top of a cake. Josiah doesn't even eat cake, but by the end of the summer he had decided what he wanted on top of his birthday cake this year. He made it very clear to me, also. He wanted, "plenty of airplanes, a helicopter, and a Curious George." You might wonder if all of that can fit on a cake, and today we found out that, indeed, plenty of airplanes (9 to be exact), a helicopter, and a Curious George can all fit on one cake...barely.

I had purchased the number 3 candle for the cake, but after Thursday at preschool I knew it wouldn't suffice. Josiah made it very clear that he only got to blow out one candle at preschool, not 3. He felt it was an injustice, since earlier this week we discussed the principle of getting a candle for every year (Josiah had wanted "plenty of candles," too). So, Josiah got 3 little candles and the large #3. One to grow on should count as plenty:)

Now back to the theme...the cake has 3 themes already. Add sports plates and napkins, a Chickfila nugget tray, & a guitar piñata. Now you have the scope of what a "Josiah's favorite things" party entails.

We had a great time entertaining some of Josiah's friends and their families. His best friend from preschool, Corwyn, got to come, which was a big treat for both boys. This is the first time Josiah has had a buddy his age, and they are certainly buddies. They ran around together, talked, and played throughout the party. At one point, they even had a camp out in Josiah's new tent. Corwyn is the first child Josiah has started to interact with more than parallel play, and it is so fun to watch them.

Josiah got some fantastic birthday gifts, but none were more timely than the tent that his Nana and Grandaddy got him. Josiah has been very into the idea of building tents and hiding under the covers together. One way or another, that led him to a new idea when Jonathan was doing our laundry. For the last 4 days, Josiah has insisted on sleeping inside of my linen laundry hamper. He turns it on its side with the lid facing down and crawls into his "house." I thought it was just a one or two day event, but on day 4 when I tried to casually take it back for my accumulating dirty clothes pile, he protested grandly. We were a little concerned with the accommodations a laundry hamper can provide, so we at least put the hamper on top of his bed with his comforter lining the bottom. Something about the "house" works, because I woke up 3 times before him on Friday before I finally got out of bed to make sure he was still breathing. He slept later than he ever has in his own bed. I kind of wondered if the closed feeling of the walls of the hamper provided some sense of comfort. Regardless, we were trying to decide how we were going to recover our laundry basket. I was beginning to wonder, "Do I just buy a new one until he outgrows this phase?" when his birthday party arrived. How fantastic it was to receive the new tent and tunnel that they got for him.

Tonight we have made some progress. My linen hamper is recovered and Josiah's bed frame stands alone. Beside it is his new tent with his mattress inside. Hoarded on the mattress next to him are plenty of airplanes, a helicopter, and a Curious George. He insisted. He is still awake and singing, "Happy Birthday to me" quietly to himself. I hear the clank of the metal airplanes and think, "this is what little boys are made of." I love it.