A "JOYE"FUL LIFE: "EB's official birthday post".....

(ALOT of pictures)!
My sweet boy is 4 - really? He is 4 years old. So grown up, yet still my baby. I have to write things down while it is fresh on my mind so that I don't forget. Elijah Brooks came into this world with a zest for life and a love of people - here we are 4 years later, and that zest and love continue to blossom every day. He has such a tender and compassionate heart underneath his big frame. He does not like injustice, and will quickly run to the aid of anyone who might need a friend or a smile. He is a very perceptive little boy, truly a deep thinker. Sometimes, we don't always know what he is thinking, but you can see the wheels spinning in his head. However, he could make a brick wall talk back to him, so most of the time, we do know what he is thinking! Elijah Brooks started talking very early on in life, so it is no surprise to me that he continues to talk like a little man. He is a precocious little boy. He gets mistaken for being at least 2 years older than he is because of what comes out of his mouth, the way he speaks to people, and also his size. Speaking of size, he wears a 6/7 shirt, 5T pants, and a size 1 shoe! Yep, big boy. He can officially ride his bike now without training wheels, which has been so wonderful to watch. When he gets his mind set on doing something, there is no stopping him. He will figure out a way to accomplish what he wants to. He is ALL boy, loving all things "boy" - wheels, speed, action, sweat, cars, trucks, being the hero, and his current obsession, Star Wars. He doesn't really care about craft projects or coloring etc...., he just wants to be playing. Yet, in his "boyhood", he is so tender, so sensitive, such a protector and nurturer. He seems to intuitively know right from wrong - he has a quickened and heightened conscience. He is very conscientious about most things. He is so loyal, and will be your best friend in a heartbeat. He can play "make believe" until it will make you want to pull your hair out - and no matter how many times in a day we play, it is never enough for him! He is caught up in his own world most of the time and wants everyone everywhere to be in that world with him. He loves music - all kinds. He listens to every genre of music there is, and seems to truly enjoy all of them. He loves his little sister so much, and thinks she is "so cute" - he will tell me all the time how cute she is! He has an amazing memory and will not let me forget anything. He feels things very deeply, and feels the hurts of others - he is very empathetic. He won't let things get serious for too long though before he does something silly. He loves his family more than anything else in this world, and brings all of us so much joy every single day. He loves to have his "special alone time" with each family member. I think I have figured out that his primary love language is "quality time" - he craves it. He is really beginning to want to try out his independence in so many different areas, so we are beginning to give him more opportunities to do things on his own. He enjoys being with adults, and talks to them like he is one of them! Sometimes I think he would rather hang out with the adults than the kids his age. I could write for days, but I just wanted to highlight some of his traits that stand out in my mind tonight. Oh, and I LOVE that he is 4 years old and still wants to be rocked every, single night - even though he is so big now that his legs almost hang out of the window next to the rocking chair!!!! If that rocking chair could talk, it would have more stories than we would ever have time on this earth to listen to. What a precious time each night. We have some of our best conversations in that rocking chair, and some of our biggest laughs.

Elijah Brooks, what a privilege and honor it is to be your mommy and daddy. As we tell you each night before bed, we are so proud of you, and there is nothing that will ever make us stop loving you. You are wanted, you are desired, you are cherished, and we love you because you are ours. Happy 4th birthday sweet boy!
love always,
Mommy and Daddy

This year, Elijah Brooks didn't want a big party - which was fine with me. He just wanted whatever we did to include Star Wars! I knew it was going to be a tough week for our family emotionally with Elliot's birthday the next day, but I didn't want to sacrifice anything with Elijah Brooks if he wanted to do something big. Birthday's are a big deal to me - they are a celebration of life, so I wanted to celebrate him to the fullest. We put the ball in his court and asked him what he wanted to do, and much to our surprise, he said he just wanted to go bowling with 1 friend he made during soccer this season. He became friends with a sweet little boy who is actually 2 years older than him, while playing Upward Soccer this fall. So, I asked his mom if Connor would like to go bowling with EB on his birthday and told her that was all EB wanted to do. She said Connor's face lit up when he heard that was all he wanted and said he would love to go with him. Since his birthday fell on a Wednesday this year (and that was also "school day "for him), I made cupcakes and party favors to take to his classmates during snack time, and then we took the 2 boys bowling after school. It actually turned out perfect - really, about as perfect as it could have been. We told him he could have a special birthday dinner too - anything he wanted - and he wanted McDonald's!! Really??? Oh well, it was his day so that's what we did. It was pretty cold by nighttime and Ellison was getting sick, so we picked it up and brought it home, invited E-daddy to come eat with us since Bebe was in Birmingham taking care of W and B, and we had a sweet time eating greasy french fries together around the table! EB said it was the best birthday and he had a great day - he smiled all day long and I believe he really knew this year what a special day it was and how much he was loved.

Helping me make cupcakes - well, this was his idea of "helping"

That's my boy!

I let him go for it - it was his birthday!

I wish I could say that I made these cupcake toppers and favor bags - they were adorable - but I can't take credit. I did make the cupcakes though and stuffed the bags full of M&M's - eating far more than actually went into the bag. That was my contribution!