Matt Mo is 5!

I felt so bad about leaving Matt Mo on his birthday (for our DC trip) that as soon as we got back he managed to guilt me into our first ever "friends" birthday party (I know, I'm such a lame mom!). We kept it VERY small, but he was thrilled all the same. He was very clear that it needed to be a Star Wars theme, so I did my best with the very little time I had...

All the little jedi's getting some energy out while waiting for the pizza to come...

The goofy birthday boy...

Lunch time!

And opening presents...

The Star Wars pods were a huge hit with all the boys...

And there was cake and ice cream too, of course!

We got to continue the celebrations with my family the next day. Matt Mo and Pops share a birthday and cousin, Cash, has his a week after theirs. There was lots more cake, ice cream, and fun presents, but somehow this was the only photo I managed to take...

It's no secret that 4 is NOT my favorite age so I'm looking forward to all the new things that Matt Mo will learn as a big 5 year old and kindergartner this year!  Despite the stubborn, whiny, and frustrating "4's", there have still been so many sweet and good things too, of course. Here are some things that stand out about our Matthew Maurice:

• He has a tender heart and can be the sweetest kid ever.
• He can also flip a switch and be the most annoying twerp you've ever seen - he knows exactly what buttons to push and loves to get a reaction.
• He says some of the most thoughtful sincere prayers at home (he gets shy in front of others though).
• He is great at giving compliments and often tells me how pretty I look or that he likes something I have on...gonna be a lady charmer!
• 99% sure he is left-handed (every once in a while he uses his right hand just to throw us off).
• He LOVES games, especially on the Wii or dad's iPad.
• He has very vivid dreams and is a great story teller (which sometimes translates to flat out lies - we need to work on that one). One time he told his preschool teacher a very convincing story of how Sadie broke her arm and had to go to the hospital...not true at all! I've also heard him tell his friends stories about going to Disney Land or some other place he's never been - I guess he has a little bit of a need to compete or "1-up" his friends!
• He is VERY particular about certain things. For example, at bedtime his fan needs to be on medium (not high or low) and he has to have his blue blanket on first with the white one on top, etc. He will also call us in to his room after he should be asleep for something as silly as telling us to fix the rug on the floor because it's crooked. I think it's mostly a stalling technique, because (thankfully!) he's not quite so OCD about the rest of his day or his things.
• He enjoyed his first year of soccer and is continuing to improve his skills.
• He will argue something to the death if he thinks it's so...perhaps a future lawyer like his dad!
• He has an impish grin and a nervous giggle. They come out when he's anxious, being naughty or getting in trouble - sometimes I can't help but laugh at it and other times it makes me furious! 

All in all we love our Matt Mo and are so thankful he's part of our family. Happy birthday, my big 5 year old!