Dear Camden,
Today you are five.
1.
2.
3. 4. 5!
I think it must be hard to be the younger sibling, because although you were super excited for your birthday, and very happy to be five, you still really want to be 7, just like your sister.
Daddy woke you up this year, while I waited downstairs to catch your reaction to your birthday surprises.
Every year from the time you were two you have had something you were wholeheartedly obsessed with - Elmo, Planes, Thomas, Cars, and now Legos, but specifically Ninjago.
You dashed down the stairs through your streamers of Ninjago colors.
And beelined for your gifts on the table. You were pretty pumped to add Rod Torque to your Cars collection. You kept asking me where I found it. God bless Amazon.
This is the point where I admit that I know you were disappointed with your big gift because of the look that registered on your face when you opened your Zane ninja hoodie that we thought you would just love. However, even at the tender age of 5, you are the sweetest kid in the world and tamped that disappointment right down. You never said an ungrateful word, just hugged us and said thank you. That sweet moment of concern for our feelings made me want to give you everything you ever want in life. I know that I can't, but man do I want to.
After you opened gifts you took some time to admire the rest of your decorations. You are so sincere in your appreciation of everything we did for your day. It's funny to observe because you are clearly very excited and simultaneously a bit overwhelmed.
Then you asked for breakfast. You usually have birthday donuts, but this year you wanted my special birthday pancakes aka pancakes with whip cream and sprinkles. Your amazing Daddy rushed out to the store first thing that morning when I realized I didn't have whip cream OR pancake mix.
You kept asking us when your friends were coming and it took a few explanations before you seemed to grasp the concept of your birthday on Tuesday and your party on Saturday. Either that or us filling you in on our plan to visit the Lego Store and Disney store was enough to please you.
We picked up Gigi on our way to the Lego Store because she and Papa were in town for a few days while he worked. In addition to the HUMONGOUS Ninjago City they bought you Gigi spoiled you and your sister with a few more gifts from the mall.
For lunch you asked for a Happy Meal which you enjoyed while the grown ups ate California Pizza Kitchen. That is what we call a win-win. You were pretty pumped to get the Optimus Prime toy in your box.
It was a beautiful day on your birthday, but all you wanted to do was come back to the house and open your big gift from Gigi and Papa. Big as in 2200+ pieces that took your Daddy and I almost three hours of non stop working to assemble. You waited as patiently as possible as we worked through 12 bags of pieces. It was worth it to see how happy you were.
We finished assembly just before Papa's arrival for dinner time. You requested the pepperoni pizza with no sauce that has become your recent favorite.
Of course for dessert we had chocolate cake that we decorated with all your new Ninjago figures. I love your face in this picture because you still get a bit bashful from all the attention, even from just your family singing "Happy Birthday".
Camden,
I hope you always know how much you are loved, and how easy you make it for us to love you. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know and you are so genuinely caring. You have grown into this tough, but sensitive kid, who says things like "Ladies first!" as you give your girl friends the first turn on the playground.
You are always thinking of others and we are the lucky ones to have someone like you in our lives to care about us. It's our privilege to love you and spend our lives helping you grow into whatever your little heart can dream of because I can guarantee you it's going to be amazing.
Happy, happy birthday little man. We love you!
