forgot to post yesterday

Yesterday was the one day of the week that I have to pick up the boys from school.  This is sometimes a challenge because of the following:

• We have to walk home (maybe the equivalent of 3 or 4 blocks), and Thing 1 always has a complaint about that.
• Thing 1 is also very particular about being "in front".  If dad or Thing 2 try to pass him, he gets quite upset.

BUT, yesterday was mom's birthday and I had bought some cupcakes for us to celebrate with, so the possibility of losing their cupcake privilege ensured good behaviour on the walk home.  We all made it home in peace and began preparing for mom's arrival; drawing her pictures and practising our songs to sing for her bday (we don't just stick to the standard HBD song).

Well, it was a total success.  Mom loved her gifts, pictures, cards, story* and songs.  Topped off by cupcakes so messy that baths were required.  Happy Birthday Mom!!

*Thing 1 has a lot of pent up energy when he's at home.  It sometimes leads to acting wild and possibly hurting someone (like Thing 2).  One of the strategies we're trying is to direct his energy toward more creative and constructive activities, like going for family walks or what we did for mom's birthday: I gave him an idea for a story (it's about a birthday party), and he made up the story while I wrote it down for him.  I helped him with some of the story's logistics, but he basically did the whole thing by himself.  We're so amazed by him, and I could tell he was really proud of it...