Happy Birthday CLATE #4!

Clate turned 4 on September 16. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him and crying because I couldn't believe he was here...and now look at him! I had a little party for him...it was crazy, but the kids had fun I think.
I had them make these blindfolds, then we played games that they could play blindfolded. 4-year-olds may have been too young of a group, but we made it through.
We read one of Clate's favorite birthday books, "Birthday Monsters" and then...
Present opening, of course. From his friends, he got a Batman figure, a soccer ball, the game "Go, Diego, Go!", a red spaceship, and a Lightening McQueen flashlight...all VERY cool gifts.
Clate chose to have rice crispy treats instead of the traditional birthday cake, so that's what we did! I think it was a good alternative.

Clate at age 4...

• He loves to ride his Razor scooter, his bike, and his tricycle still...he's pretty fast on all three, fast enough to scare me sometimes.
• Loves anything red, especially Lightening McQueen.
• Has learned that girls like pink things and boys like red and blue things.
• Loves preschool and runs in before I'm even out of the car to walk with him. After the first couple of days at school when I would ask him what they talked about that day, he would say, "Grasshoppers and praying mantises." I knew that wasn't what they had talked about, but he insisted. After a few times of answering that way, he started to giggle. He knew he was teasing and he thought it was pretty funny. Come to find out, Ms. Wendy showed them a praying mantis one time...but apparently that is all Clate can remember. I did finally get him to tell me that they had talked about trees one day.
• He loves to work outside, ride bikes, or play any kind of ball with dad when he gets home. Just being with dad doing anything is fun.
• He has become quite the big helper around the house and likes to sing the clean up song when its time to clean up.
• Loves pickles...he got a big jar of them for his birthday and was super excited about it!
• LOVES animals. Since we don't have any live animals in the house, Clate loves his plastic toy animals...and he has a ton of them. He picked out a frog from Michael's for his birthday and a little duck from Discovery Center. Then yesterday he asked if he could go back to Michael's and get the squid, "It was so funny and so cute," he said. "I've got to have it!"

We love Clate and are so proud of the little boy that he is becoming! Our family just wouldn't be the same without him...and the girls just love him! Happy Birthday, little man!