Anderson's 4th Birthday Interviews

Anderson’s 4th Birthday Interview

April 2012

Q: What is your name?

A: Anderson Luke Neumann

Q: How do you spell your name?

A:  A-N-D-E-R-S-O-N   N-R-O-M-A-N

Q: What animal do you like?

A: I like the giraffe like Everett.

Q: What is your favorite color?

A: blue and red and pink

Q: Where do you like to go?

A: Oh, my very best place is Chuck E. Cheese!

Q: What store do you like to go to?

A: Kroger because I like to get Lightning McQueen cars from there.

Q: What do you like to play?

A: Candy Land, play on Mommy’s phone, hug Riley, cars

Q: What do you like to do outside?

A: help Daddy, ride in my Lightning McQueen car

Q: What do you like to do with daddy?

A: kiss him, play tackle, watch Jake & the Pirates

Q: Where does Daddy go during the day and what does he do?
A: to work, do some work, work on his computer

Q: What do you like to do with Mommy?

A: play Candy Land, watch Mickey Mouse, play Hi-Ho Cherry-O, play Marble Run, make food, letter activities

Q: What does Mommy do all day?
A:  get up all day, typing on computer, make me food

Q: Who are your best friends?

A:  McKenna, Max, Brody, Phoebe, Nathan, Asa, Nash, Maggie, Sonya, Nicholas  

Q: What do you like to do with your friends?

A: play with Lightning McQueen cars, play hide & seek

Q: What is your favorite Bible story?

A: “I got a great one- when He died on the cross for me, so I can be saved.  From the monster.”

Q: What do you do when you are four years old?

A: have a birthday, go with my mommy and daddy

Q: Where do you live?

A: in Dallas Texas at street called Flagstone

Q: What food do you most like to eat?

A: edamame, pasta noodles, cheese, chicken nuggets

Q: What do you like to drink?

A: lemonade, orange juice, milk, water

Q: Where do you go to school?

A: I don’t know the name

Q: Who are your teachers?

A: Ms. Melissa, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Heather

Q: What is your favorite song?

A: We All Live in a Yellow Submarine

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: Me & My Dad and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Q: Who is in your family?

A: Everett, Mommy, Daddy, Anderson, Riley

Q: What do you want to do when you get bigger?

A: grow into something- a fireman, a garbage man, Lightning McQueen driver

(It wasn't my intent to do this year's video in the car, but when we left church on Easter Sunday, he was in such a happy and chatty mood that I figured I would just go with it :)

Anderson's 4th Birthday Day

Anderson's birthday fell on Wednesday this year and he had a fun day.  When he woke up that morning Reese and I were telling him that he was now 4 years old and he was adamant in explaining to us that he wasn't actually 4 until he had blown out his candles and opened presents.  So, he got to be 3 for most of the day, I guess!  We met up with a playgroup at a local park for an Easter egg hunt in the morning and in the afternoon he had a special friend over to play.  For dinner, Anderson chose to have Mommy, Daddy & Everett take him to GattiTown for some pizza and games.  Since it was his "actual birthday" and not his "carnival birthday" (the terms he became familiar with in all the talk leading up to birthday events) he got to also choose his very own small cake.  Of course, he chose it to be decorated in Lightning McQueen.  We took the cake to GattiTown and had our own little family party.  Anderson opened a few presents that were from family members once we were back home, with his favorite being the two new games for his LeapPad.  

Anderson blowing out his 4 candles:

The Road Grader, Breakfast For All, and April Fools

Apparently I just need to drive around and find construction sites to provide free entertainment for the boys. We recently came out of a store to find some trucks hard at work nearby.  I think Everett could have watched and waved at this road grader (yes, I do mistakenly call it a digger in the video) all day long!  Anderson does a cute impression to start the video off.  

One morning a few days before his birthday, Anderson came downstairs and went straight into the kitchen without even coming to see Mommy or Daddy.  We heard him rustling around in there for awhile and it soon dawned on me that he was making himself his standard waffle breakfast.  Eventually, he did have to come and ask for some help opening the waffle packaging.  At that point, he informed us to NOT come into the kitchen until he came to get us.  Here's what we found when he let us enter.

 I am super impressed that he was able to get the gallon of milk down from the fridge and pour it into the two bowls without spilling a drop. 

This is certainly something he's never done before, even with our assistance!

Anderson also saw an episode of Caillou (he actually doesn't watch that show very often at all, but obviously it sticks with him!) that was about April Fools Day.  Anderson thought this concept was hilarious and informed me that when the day came, he wanted to play "nice tricks" on Daddy.  So, I helped him out a bit that day.  Here's one of the better ones we 'got' Daddy on.  As a side note- Anderson called the day "Happy Fools Day" (and still does even though we've corrected him many times) which is really cute.

Does this thing still work?

Yikes!  March was an insanely busy month around here and that's actually an understatement!  I have SO much to catch up on and unfortunately I'm now in what is supposed to be our family's busiest month: April (Easter, both boys' birthdays, tons of friends' birthdays)!  So, I'm feeling a little underwater in terms of this blog which does make me sad, but it's OK.  Why?  Because...while the pictures & videos may not be here for you to see and read about, the important fact does remain that we have been having some wonderful time together as a family (and the pictures and videos do exist at least) and that's the important thing!

So... hopefully...here are some of the things to come in future posts (about the past):
-we went on a family ski trip with Nana B, Grandpa Billy, Uncle Dustin, Aunt Sarah and the boys' cousins, Carter and Kate.  It was our second year to take Anderson skiing and he did awesome!
-Reese spent 8 days in Scotland on business and then I was blessed to have Nana B and Grammy watch the boys so that I could join him for another 5 days.  We toured Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands. WONDERFUL trip!
-St. Patrick's Day was loads of fun for the boys!  Anderson really got into it this year and loves hunting for gold and other treasures left by leprechauns.
-Anderson started playing t-ball, which is SO much fun!  It's adorable and he's an awesome hitter!
-This Lent season and the time leading up to Easter has been very special.  It's been awesome watching and hearing Anderson really begin to learn and understand the true meaning of Easter and the resurrection story. Wait until I post the video of him telling the resurrection story with his Easter eggs!  Priceless!
-Anderson turned 4!!!  We had a small family-only celebration on April 4th because the big bash is coming up on the 14th when he celebrates with Everett and all his friends!
-the big Neumann Bros. Brithday Carnival!!

The Streaking Jailbird

Oh, Everett-Bo-Beverett.  Such a little stinker.  At a bold 22 months, Everett decided it was time to scale the high prison walls of his crib.  We were sleeping one morning a week or so ago when some new 'noises' perked up my Mommy Senses and woke me.  After listening for a moment, I realized that the footsteps, fiddling with doorknob, and then opening and closing of a door were not the familiar sounds that I'm used to hearing from Anderson's room.  My heart sank at that moment. I whispered to Reese, "EVERETT GOT OUT OF HIS CRIB" while lying completely still.  I think I was momentarily hoping that if I was quiet and still enough that maybe 'it' wouldn't really be happening.

But, it did.  The next night we all went to bed as usual.  However, at 2 a.m., Everett appeared (quiet as a mouse) right beside our bed and announced in a bright and cheerful voice "Night Night!"  Reese and I about fell out of our bed.  We were so confused and saddened at the same time.  It was that next morning that Reese said out loud what we both knew: "There goes our nights of uninterrupted sleep."  That was a very short year 9 months of sleeping through the night that Everett gave us.  He was a terrible sleeper his whole first year.  :(

So, needless to say, the nights have not been very fun here lately.  Well, I guess they have been for Everett! Each time he comes out he has the same proud attitude and is as happy as can be, no matter what time it is. Luckily, there have been no tears involved or major resistance to us putting him back to bed.  But, he is slowly testing his freedoms more and more each night and I can see where this is all going.  So, we're trying to figure out what to do.  Crib tent?  Toddler bed?  Door lock?  Wait it out?  Of course we're afraid he'll fall and hurt himself either on the climb out or coming down the stairs.  That's the main concern.  The secondary problem is getting him back in the habit of putting himself back to sleep when he wakes during the night instead of hopping up to see what's going on "out there".

Just for some perspective.  Anderson actually has a difficult time climbing out of Everett's bed.  I really thought we had a LONG time before Everett would figure it out.  Apparently Anderson is just lacking in the climbing skills.

Don't ask what Anderson is doing...I have no idea????

So, if that's not enough for my Mr. Mess, he also has a new-found love of being naked.  Shortly after he's up, Everett has those jammies off and the diaper is long gone too.  It all began with an interest in the potty, etc.  It has now evolved into a multiple-times-per-day strip down.  Luckily there haven't been many accidents on the floor and the ones that have happened have been on the hardwood or tile.  Maybe this will be good for potty training?

Yep, that's Everett in his Birthday Suit carrying his purse briefcase filled with keys, wallet, a dog collar, a remote control- the essentials.

For your viewing pleasure:

A Valentine For You!

While Pinterest is one of my new-found favorite websites and inspirations, it has started to loose it's luster for me just a tiny bit.  As in, once Valentine's Day started nearing I could see what was going to happen.  Everyone was on Pinterest.  Everyone "pins" the same cute, totally awesome, fantastically cute idea for their kids' Valentine's cards.  I "pin" a cute idea to use and then so does everyone else in our playgroup/preschool classroom.  Then it is no longer a cute, original idea.

So, I spent some time on Pinterest to get inspiration and just got creative and came up with my own.  :)

Anderson's LEGO Valentine's

The Candy Blox actually stack like LEGOs!  I bought a two pound bag which was the perfect amount for the 30 cards that I bought for Anderson's classmates and playgroup friends.

Everett's T-Rex Valentine's Cards

Since Everett's friends are the "under two crowd", I opted for dinosaur crayons as the perfect compliment to his T-Rex cards.

Anderson was the cutest thing in the world helping me assemble both his and Everett's Valentine's.  He took great caution filling the bags and then placing the sticky dots to attach the bags to the backs of the cards.  He was so focused and intent on helping.  It was sweet to see his heart so set on making a gift for his and Everett's friends.

We also delivered Valentine's presents to the boys' teachers today. Anderson loves giving his teachers gifts.  He gets so excited and then when it comes time to actually hand it to them, the gets all shy.  SO cute!

I did find the print for the boys' teacher's gifts somewhere on Pinterestland.  I printed it at CVS, framed it in a cute Valentine's frame and created a sweet treat bag-topper to complete the "song set" theme.  Simple, cute, and very thrifty, which is nice when creating gifts for 7 preschool teachers!

This is a terrible picture! :(  It's a little bag of Hershey Hugs with the folded & stapled bag-topper.

 The boys' preschool combines Valentine's Day with Teacher Appreciation Day, so we also made cards for their teachers.  Anderson and I wrote how each of his teachers were wonderful ("They always say Hello to me" ; "They help me make crafts").  Everett's teachers received cards that were decorated with colorings and stickers by Mr. E himself.  ;)

Lovely Things

First, the loveliest of all:

Their sweet faces make me really love this print that I framed for some decoration this year:

Anderson and I had fun making a Valentine Countdown calendar together one afternoon early in February.  Each heart 'box' opens up to reveal the date and holds a special treat.  

We had very yummy red velvet pancakes for breakfast!  Everett was especially fond of these.

And, of course, what Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without some very lovely cupcakes?  ;)

And some wonderful friends to share it all with!