Parker's Bday, 1st science project, and a laugh...

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY PARKER!!!

The train birthday cake, of course!

I'm finally getting around to posting Parker's birthday pictures. His birthday just happened to fall on the same week that I was in the ER and ended up on bed rest. So the poor kid didn't get to have much of a birthday celebration. We had planned to go bowling as a family, but I couldn't go and Brett DID NOT want to take all 3 kids alone. Which, who can blame him...I wouldn't either! But Brett was very sweet and did MAKE cupcakes for all of Parker's class!! Parker was so excited to have his dad bring cupcakes into class on the Friday before his birthday!!! Hopefully that made up a little for having to miss bowling. His birthday was actually on a Sunday, so we had cake on that day. And then Brett took Parker and Addie to see "Under Dog" in the theatre the next afternoon. They both came home saying their favorite part was during the bloopers when he said, "Have no fear, Underwear is here!" :o) They thought that was so funny--and we're still hearing about it!! So Parker ended up having a very elongated birthday celebration--which I really don't think he minded one bit!

Brett didn't want to wrap the presents, and I couldn't. So we decided to just put them all under a blanket and let Parker grab one at a time. He LOVED it!! This may be the beginning of a new birthday tradition at our house! :o)

The presents:

A scooter (thanks Aunt BA and Uncle Lance!), a new lego set, and a new geo trax train!!!

Parker also got to do his first real school project in his 2nd grade class. He was supposed to demonstrate something that he's good at. Parker LOVES science, so we decided to let him make a volcano and have him demonstrate how to make the lava come out. He also insisted on adding his lego men and trees to bottom so that they could get killed by the lava...typical boy!!
And his class LOVED it!!! They don't do ANY science in 2nd grade here. They actually don't do science until like the 4th and 5th grades--kind of odd! So none of them have really experienced anything related to science. Its kind of sad because that is Parker's favorite part of school. So the kids thought Parker's volcano was pretty neat! His teacher loved it as well...and even told him he can do a science project in class ANYTIME!! She said they didn't have any time left for questions because Parker was so excited and just kept talking about his volcano. Parker was so happy about it, and I'm just glad that he had such a good experience with his first class project! He told me, "It went so good, Mom...and it all thanks to you and dad for helping me!"

Now for the laugh...and its a good one!

Parker lost another tooth recently. That makes 3 total. Since I was confined to bed once again by my doctor, I couldn't get up to make sure the Tooth Fairy came. Brett had to go to work, but decided he could come home around midnight to check on the Tooth Fairy. When he got home he left all the lights off so he wouldn't wake anyone up. The next morning before school, Brett came running into our bedroom yelling, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I started getting worried that something was really wrong! Then Parker comes in holding a 500 Peso bill ($10) in his hand saying, "Look what the Tooth Fairy left me!!!" I looked at Brett and he was completely shocked that the Tooth Fairy had given Parker THAT much money! Meanwhile, Parker was ecstatic and already planning what he was going to buy!! Apparently the Tooth Fairy can't see well in the dark and mistook a 500 Peso bill ($10) for 50 Pesos ($1)! I don't think the Tooth Fairy can afford to make that kind of mistake again!! :o)

Could it be....the tooth fairy's finally coming?!?

*P* finally had his first lose tooth! Actually, he had a lose tooth for over a month. But it was finally really lose and about to come out! All the kids in his class have lost tons of their teeth. He is the ONLY one that hasn't. So this was extra exciting for him!

The only problem was that his tooth decided to get really lose the night before hubby and I were flying to Boracay for the weekend w/o the kids. And I was not about to miss my oldest child losing his first tooth!!! So we all decided we would pull it out that night since we were leaving the next morning. That way we could see what the Tooth Fairy brought him before we left! :o) The problem is that the thing would NOT come out!! We tried and tried and tried...for over an hour! *P* was VERY brave! It was just not quite ready. So we gave *P* clear instructions to not wiggle his tooth at all until we got back! And if it did happen to fall out while we were gone for the 2 1/2 days, he was to write a note to the Tooth Fairy and put it on his door telling her that she could not come until we got back...or else his mom would be REALLY sad!! :o(

Every night we would call from Boracay to tell the kids goodnight, and my first question to him each time would be, "You didn't lose your tooth yet, did you?" And the answer was always , "No mom, I'm not even wiggling it!" And I guess my prayers were answered because it didn't fall out while we were gone! In fact, it took a whole other week of wiggling to get the thing out! It was one stubborn tooth!!

It finally fell out on April 22nd after church. It just so happened that we were having a potluck that day at our apartment and I had a ton to do to get ready. So of course that would have to be the time his tooth would come out. He actually ended up pulling it out himself! He was so excited! And of course I had to stop what I was doing to take LOTS of pictures!!! :o) *P* showed everyone that came to the potluck his missing tooth! He was so proud!

And sure enough, the Tooth Fairy showed up that night! He wrote her this letter. The Tooth Fairy wrote a note back saying that she was really proud of him for pulling out his own tooth, and would tell him where she lives when he pulls out his next tooth! She also left him 50 pesos ($1) and 3 pokemon cards.

So if any of you ever got a note from the Tooth Fairy when you were little telling you where she lived, we'd love to hear about it! :o)

*P* discovers the great outdoors...

*P*'s Class

Here's some pictures from *P*'s field trip back in December.

I got to go as a chaperon. It was a lot of fun!

*P* got to hold a bald eagle!

Isn't this the cutest baby monkey ever!?!

*P* and all the seashells.

The Butterfly museum: It had thousands of butterflies from around the world! It was really neat.

*P* liked the caterpillar!

Okay, so I really can't figure out how to line these pictures up...this will just have to do for now!