5 years of TROY!

This little guy is FIVE today!

We had crepes for breakfast, chocolate cookies for his preschool class, spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and peanut butter chocolate cake tonight!

I love giving Troy presents, because no matter what it is, he is always so thrilled to receive it!

He opened this one and said, "...Socks?"

Brooklyn said, "No, it's underpants!"

He got a big kick out of that one!

Troy is what I would characterize as a "sober" child. He's very introspective, thinking everything through and always analyzing the world around him. I credit him with my proud motherhood claim that I have never left a child behind, anywhere, because he is always keeping tabs on everyone, at all times, and will never let anyone out of arm's reach - even his big sisters! He likes everything to be "just so" and keeps his room neatly organized, even when his living quarters are temporary. He always puts his shoes away and has never forgotten his school lunch (both my girls have done that already this year so far!) Nolan wants to be just like him and consequently has already learned to put his shoes away as soon as we get home. I can get used to having a mentor like this for wild little Nolan!

He got that bear for his first birthday, so technically it is Bear's birthday too!

Troy also started preschool last week!

(Do you love our white trash door mat? We've since replaced it! Remember how I said that the "We just moved in" card is good for like a year? Or two? Yeah.)

Troy has been SO. EXCITED. to finally start school!

 Luckily his old buddy Cooper is in his class! We were friends and neighbors back in our earlier KC days!

Well, in the words of Sandra Boynton (from the Pookie book that Nolan insists on me reading to him at least 8 times a day):

"So here's to a child who is joyful and clever.

Happy day, happy year, happy always and ever!"

Oh wait, speaking of Nolan and his obsession with birthdays, here is what he sang all day long:

Okay this is not the best example (but the best that can be captured on film!)

We put him to bed before we had cake and presents tonight, and after we sang to Troy, we heard Nolan in his room upstairs, singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of his lungs!