Preschool commencement

Owen had his graduation ceremony at Scribbles today. It was really wonderful!

The ceremony started with a welcome to the parents and then continued with some entertainment provided by the graduating class.

This song was my favorite ...



... That said, it's hard not to like this classic:



Then the big moment came. Owen, as you can imagine, was the first in his class to receive his diploma in Pre-K studies.



He was very proud of himself. And he enjoyed the post-commencement festivities immensely.

... and then we took him to the doctor for his five year checkup. 44.5 inches tall. 49 lbs.

The only real bummer were the three shots. He's not great with them, but had a wonderful moment after the first two were administered. "Just do it. Get it over with!" he shouted.

As we were leaving the doctor's office he was, again, very proud of himself. He'd been steeling himself in preparation for these shots all week ... all year, perhaps.

His arms are sore tonight, but all in all I think he knows today was a pretty good day.

We're proud of you, Owen!

The Fifth Birthday!

ONE ...


TWO ...


THREE ...


FOUR ...

FIVE!
Owen's fifth birthday brought with it a real party with lots of friends, lots of activities, including:

A BOUNCY HOUSE!!!

What's funny about the above picture is that we actually took the time to hang balloons on the mailbox so that Owen's guests would have an easier time finding the house with the party ...

It was so much fun! Owen's grandparents were all here, along with Amy and me, Auntie Pam, many friends ...

... and Maya dressed up like The Cookie Monster.

Despite the 47 degree high temp, there were many things to celebrate about the day. Owen had a blast, which was key. But beyond that, the kids were absolutely wonderful.

Owen has great friends, and he has a good radar for who he wants to spend time with, which was evident when he was planning who to invite. "No, he doesn't play nice," and "No, he has a potty mouth," were actual disqualifiers for the party. And, indeed, everyone played nicely together.

One little boy even asked if he could be excused after he had finished his birthday cake.

Beyond that, there were no accidents of the food, injury, or potty variety. The food was wonderful.

And we all survived.

Plus, everyone slept great late into the morning of May 9.

Happy birthday, Owen. We love you!

Fun in Champaign

The kids had a wonderful morning in Champaign on Saturday. The street was filled with fun activities including a NASCAR simulator with a driving game Owen could try (and a cushy passenger seat Maya thought was just about perfect for bouncing ...)

There was also an obstacle course-style bouncy house with walls to climb and a slide that Owen loved!

And lots of other good things to keep you interested ...

Like the marathoners finishing their 26.2 mile runs.

The Illinois Marathon was my 36th marathon. It was a fun day ... but also a challenge as the early morning cool gave way to late morning heat and humidity. But I finished. And I adored my terrific cheering section, including Mom and Dad (who got up extra early to come with me for the 7:30 start). And Amy and the kids who came a little later in the morning, joined by Auntie Pam, who was attending her first marathon.

Perhaps the best part of the day, though, was having Owen run with me for the final leg of the race, like he did at my last marathon. I'll add a photo of our finish as soon as the race gets them posted.

Run, Daddy, run!