Celebrating Conor

Since Conor's birthday fell on the first day of school this year, we decided to celebrate the little guy on Friday so he could have the day all to himself. Lyndsay had off work that day, and Aiden only worked until noon.

We decided to head downtown to the Natural History Museum, a place I've wanted to go since we moved here eight years ago. I love museums, and I love dinosaur bones! I thought Conor would love it too.

You can see he was eager, as he waits at the top of the steps.

There was also a Butterfly Pavilion that we got access to. Conor was a bit crazy in the museum, running from exhibit to exhibit, but in the butterfly pavilion he was so calm and interested in the little creatures. I taught him how to get a butterfly to sit on his finger.

He was so proud! I told him how special it was for a butterfly to trust him, and he was delighted.

(This is a dolphin skull)

Back at home, we invited Adam and Sean to come for dinner and cake. (Caitlin was working.)
Conor requested Asian Chicken Salad. It's a huge favorite here.

Conor's Minion cake. I really wanted to make a dinosaur cake to go with the museum theme, but he wanted a Minion, so that's what he got. Thankfully, it was pretty easy.

Adam brought Conor this pointer finger, and boy, did he take full advantage of that! Conor loves having authority.

When it's someone's birthday, we go around the dinner table and each say what we love about that person. As soon as we sat down, Conor said, "Are we forgetting something?" And then he proceeded to point to each person. "YOU. What do you love about me?" Of course, it's easy to think of wonderful things about him. I liked how Lyndsay said that Conor shows leadership qualities. (ie, BOSSY.)

A few gifts that I'd purchased in February and put away for either Christmas or his birthday.

This game is called Perplexus. And it's hard.

Putting the Lego set that Aiden got him together with his dad.

We sure love this boy! And I cannot believe he's 7 already. Still a little guy to me, though. I think about my bigger kids and how I would give anything to have Lyndsay or Dylan or Aiden be 7 again. I will fully enjoy my little Conor at age 7 (even though I miss my chunky baby!). He just gets cooler every year, anyway.

A Little Boy Named Conor: The First 7 Years

Today is Conor's 7th birthday, and after I dropped him off at school, I came home and spent the next few hours looking back at pictures of this little guy and life since he joined our family. It hasn't been the same, that's for sure! Conor is my only baby that came early. He wanted to be in the party. No, not just in the party, the life of the party! 

Conor is spirited, dramatic, charming, cuddly, sentimental, helpful, sensitive, tender-hearted, cautious, bold, witty, clever, bossy (or as Lyndsay puts it, "he shows leadership qualities") challenging, wise, deep, funny, maddening, stubborn, sneaky, fun-loving, competitive, and loud. He has busted his way out of my womb and into the world with firecracker energy, and a heart that is equally as soft and lovable. I cannot imagine my life without him in it, and though he drives me nuts sometimes, he also melts me in the best way. And he has given me another chance to do what I love the very most: mother.

I absolutely adore him. He is quite a character. It was hard to choose my "favorite" pictures of him throughout the years because there are so many, but here are 50ish that made me laugh, and cry, today.  

Happy birthday, Bubba Loo!