Four

The preparation for the big day began the night before.  Sam joined me in the kitchen and I let him stay up way too late helping me make Jack a rainbow birthday cake.  We made ours as simple as possible with only four layers, green, blue, red and orange.  Unfortunately, our orange and red layers were basically identical when they came out of the oven, leaving us with a tri-colored rainbow cake.  And then one of those layers fell apart as we took it out of the pan, so our rainbow cake was a simple three layers, green, blue and red/orange.

We spent the day at home, because that's what the birthday boy wanted to do.  I offered to take him anywhere he wanted, but he said he just wanted to stay home and play.  I did convince him to leave the house and go pick Sam up early from school.  All three boys spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside.  We changed clothes for dinner and headed to Jack's current favorite restaurant, "the rice place", also known as Kobe.  I took his picture before we left and I swear he grew two inches overnight.

As we were getting in the car, G-Ma yelled at us to walk over to Keen-Keen's house and see what was sitting on her fence.  There sat a tiny baby possum.  Jack stood back with me and observed the tiny rodent on the fence while Sam begged to get the ting down and hold it.

He talked Poppa in to walking over and getting him down so he could get a closer look.  As soon as I took this picture, the baby jumped out of Poppa's hand.  I just knew he was going to make a bee line for the open van door, landing right on my poor baby that I'd left strapped in his car seat.   The thought of that and the fact that a rodent, baby or not, was on the loose in my general vicinity scared the @*%# out of me and I let out some kind of scream/chant complete with some quick foot stomping and the possum darted in the opposite direction.  Crisis averted.  Mama's got your back, Will.

Jack's best buddies met us for dinner.  I don't feel like I saw any of them eat or enjoy the show because I was either a.) detaching Will from the window shades he would climb every time he saw fire or b.) removing rice from my hair, neck and bra that failed to make it to Will's mouth as he was shoveling it in with an over sized spoon.

 "Seriously, dude.  You're killing me.  Lay off the fire, man."

When we got home, we gave Jack his gift from us.  He's been asking for a Ford truck like his Daddy's for months now and after being unable to find a white one, we choose this black one for him.

He was so excited, but he hid it well with his I refuse to smile even though I am so happy right now routine.

He and Sam hopped in for a ride, Jack driving, Sam working the radio.  Yes, we were pleasantly surprised that this model has the working radio (and real cup holders that Jack "really, really needed").  The radio works amazingly well and picks up a local country and pop station great.  Yet, every time they pass by, the radio is blaring Hispanic tunes or classical music.

This picture sums up Jack's driving.  Look at his intense face.  The boy's on a mission to see what narrow passage ways he can squeeze through and how close he can get to his Mama before slamming on the breaks and sliding to a stop and inch from her legs.  And Sam's face?  That pretty much sums up how everyone else feels when Jack is behind the wheel.  

We came in for cake and, again, I found myself staring at him, wondering how on earth he changed so much overnight.  He went to sleep a little boy and woke up like this...all grown up.

Will thought the rainbow cake was delicious and was just happy to eat at a table that didn't have a smoking grill or a tall chef lighting miniature onion volcanoes in his sweet little face .

 The night ended with a sleepover.  Sam went to stay with Cade and Cannon and Landry stayed with Jack and Will.   

And after fulfilling my last (of many, many) request to the princess at 12:30 am (a mini butterfinger, unwrapped and handed to her in bed so she didn't get a. have to get up or b. have to disturb the mammoth stack of blankets and pillows she made me fix for her so she could "see the tv better"), we called it a night.  We're preparing for more celebrating this weekend at, you'll never believe it, another cowboy party.  I was really pushing for a Yo Gabba Gabba! party.  Jody as DJ Lance would have been epic.