Happy 5th Birthday to Joseph!

Of course the theme for this year's birthday is "Star Wars."  (obsession du jour/d'annee/ whathaveyou.)  Joseph woke up to a few gifts, foremost amongst them was a posable Darth Vader action figure with light sabre.  Joseph has been asking for such a toy for several months, and so his wish came true.  He also got a Luke figure, with light sabre.  The two were battling each other on the breakfast table underneath a false-bottomed gift box.  He also got a Darth Vader mask to make his costume more authentic.  (We had previously improvised with a dollar store soldier helmet with black construction paper taped to the back and a pair of sunglasses.  I made him a long black cape.)  And finally, he received a few new "golf shirts" which have been his favorite over the past year. 

Old and new Darth Vader costumes

DV and Luke action figures

Michael said a special birthday blessing for Joseph, the first of a new family tradition.  When it was all done Joseph exclaimed, "That was cool!"

For his special birthday foods he requested waffles for breakfast (which I made in advance on Friday), peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches for lunch and pizza for dinner.  When he accompanied me on a shopping trip to Trader Joes I also let him get  a few other treats such as cheese puffs and ice cream.  (Which he oh-so-casually picked out of the freezer, placed in the shopping cart and told me, "I put it in the cart, Mom.")

From Papa he received a Lego set of Darth Vader's TIE fighter, complete with Darth Vader lego figure and light sabre (251 pieces which Michael is dutifully assembling now.)  And some friends of ours passed along a red light saber with clip that their girls have now outgrown, further adding the finishing touches to Joseph's collection of DV accoutrements.  (We have the same thing in blue handed down from cousin Russ a few months ago which Joseph enjoyed but lamented the fact that it was not red.)

Setting up the Lego TIE fighter and Simon who said, "I'm just gonna watch you."

Simon has also been getting into the birthday spirit.  Everytime Joseph announced or announces, "It's my birthday!" Simon chimes in, "It's my birthday too!!"

Joseph says, "I'm five years old!"  Simon says, "I'm five years old too!"

When Joseph was opening presents, Simon asked, "Where are my presents?"  (Joseph graciously offer to let Simon open one.)

And as Simon was finishing the last of his lunch, I heard him singing, "Happy birthday to you.  Happy birthday dear Simon..." 

I made Joseph a Darth Vader cake, which he probably thought was going to be a 3-D effigy of Darth Vader, but nonetheless he seemed satisfied with my 2-D piping of Darth Vader's image on the cake.  I would have liked to write, "You have learned much young one," but I think that would have been a little too ambitious for my cake decorating skills and space on the cake, so I went with the traditional "Happy Birthday Joseph."

We love you, Joseph!  You are a delight and you are growing up way too fast!