Dean's birthday is actually Thursday, but Marcus and I both had today off and the weather was nice, so we decided to observe his birthday today. He woke up in a great mood and we had a nice, lazy morning around the house. We played with his samurai castle, ate a lot of fruit, made a swimming pool out of blankets and pillows (yeah, I don't get it either) and played with Chutey. Around lunchtime, we headed to the store where we restocked the fruit, and let Dean pick out lunch. He went for a "chicken piece" from the deli, potato wedges and carrots. He picked out his annual birthday balloon, going with Winnie the Pooh this year. His choice shocked me--I was sure we'd get a super hero of some sort. Guess there is a tiny drop of baby left in him after all.
After lunch, we played in his tent, then he went down for a luxurious 2-hour nap, which allowed me to work on his video montage for his actual birthday, write for Food Lush, chat with my pal Andrea, and make some balsamic ravioli salad. When he got up, we headed to Build A Bear Workshop. It was our first trip and Dean was mesmerized by the choices.
He finally chose Alivn the Chipmunk, then patiently waited for his turn to stuff him.
When we got to the machine, the worker asked if we wanted Alvin to be soft or fluffy, then had us pick out a heart to put inside. You take your heart and do a little routine: rub it between your hands so your animal will stay warm, rub it on your head so he'll be smart, rub it on your tummy so he won't go hungry, rub it on your feet so his won't be stinky, put it on your nose and make a wish (Dean wished for Batman), then put it inside before they seal him up.
Once we'd made our Alvin, we shopped for his outfit. While we were in line, Dean kept picking up this pair of sparkly high heels. Marcus glared at him, but I said, "If he wants to make a cross-dressing chipmunk, that's fine. IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY." Instead he wandered over to the costume section. They had Spiderman, which I figured would win, Buzz Lightyear and Woody, among others.
Alvin as Woody, complete with cowboy boots and spurs.
I should mention that Dean went "WOOOOOOOOOOW!" when we walked out of Sears and into the mall. It's the Galleria, so it is big, and I think the last time we were in there was 2 years ago to see Santa, but it was like the kid had never seen anything so wonderful. Perhaps we should take him to the mall more often. Then again, maybe not. We had to do some creative distracting so he wouldn't spot the brand new Lego store right across from Build-A-Bear. Had he seen it, we'd have been there til they closed.
After the mall, we headed to Johnny Rockets for a milkshake and dinner. Dean loved getting his ketchup squirted in the shape of a happy face. Alvin was quite well-behaved while we ate.
Dean went to bed happy, snuggled up with Stu the monkey, his friend of nearly 4 years. Even though the calendar says January 2 instead of the 5th, I think he'll remember today as his 4th birthday.
Despite the poopy look on his face in that picture, he was really happy. He was asking if Alvin could eat with us when I snapped the picture.
That sounds like such a fun time! I love his Alvin dressed as Woody. The heart routine is so sweet! So happy y'all had fun! :)
Posted by: J | January 03, 2012 at 02:09 PM
Sounds like fun! We haven't braved Build-a-Bear yet, and actually don't have one close to us. That said, it looks like we're doing Christmas in Louisiana next year, and there is one there, so we may to Build-a-Bear gift certificates for Christmas gifts.
Posted by: Dusty | January 03, 2012 at 02:47 PM
Build-A-Bear is so cute. What a fun day!
Posted by: rkmama | January 03, 2012 at 02:49 PM
Sounds like a fun day! I may suggest pillow and blanket swimming pool for my own crew. I'd almost forgotten that we used to do January Beach Day when I taught preschool. Fun!
I wanted to tell you, too, from one of your year end posts, that I now think of you every time I put on a scarf. I have gotten into them too, and I wonder if, like, every day is too much? The love is shared, here.
Happy Early Birthday Dean!
Posted by: Molly | January 04, 2012 at 06:22 PM
A cross-dressed chipmunk? Who could as for anything more?!
Posted by: Alissa | January 05, 2012 at 11:12 PM