Kyler and Jeanette: Five for Craig!

29 September 2018

Five for Craig!

Craig has done it! He made it to his fifth birthday, a full hand of fingers.

He survived, folks! And he did it in style.

Before his birthday, when Kyler and I were discussing what we wanted to do as a family for him, Craig said he wanted to do mini golf like last year. When we told him we weren't planning on doing that, he pouted and said, "Well, then I don't want to do anything!" Then I told him what we were actually planning, and he changed his tune...
We started his birthday celebration on the Saturday before, and drove down to Drumheller... in the snow. Sorry, Kyler! But it was for a good purpose: to go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum!
After a quick (indoor) picnic lunch, we headed into to museum.

Caleb hasn't been there since he was a baby, so we wondered a little how he'd do. He absolutely loved it - maybe a little too much. Caleb would become obsessed with an aspect of the exhibit (a turtle or shark or the gardens or something) and keep coming back to it, refusing to move on.

When we finally would decide to force him to come with us, he'd cry and scream until he found his next obsession in the next room, and then he's fall in love all over again...
Calista is basically the perfect age for things like this. She is so curious and loved learning, and at the same time is actually old enough to start to understand and ask questions for herself.

So, needless to say, she loved going through the museum and learning all about paleontology.
And the birthday boy himself? Craig "liked it 100%."

He was excited and full of energy, running this way and that to look at everything.
The fan favorite of the day was an experience we'd never done before: we actually paid a little bit extra for a fossil casting course. Caleb wasn't old enough, so it was just Calista, Craig, and Kyler. For everyone, it was their favorite part of the day. They learned about what fossil casts are (copies made from molds of original fossils), why museums make and use them (protect or study real fossils, casts are lighter for display, and they can share casts with other museums), and then made one for themselves to bring home!

They absolutely loved it! I'm only a little jealous I didn't get to go, but hanging out 1-on-1 with Caleb was actually really nice, too.
Finally, we had dinner before heading home.

And then, on Craig's actual birthday, he... went to school! But we had a lot of fun playing in the leaves and taking a couple of pictures beforehand.

After school, he came home with a pencil from his principal, which he was thrilled about. He promptly asked me to sharpen it for him, and then Craig drew a picture of a long-necked, short-bodied, long-headed Headband Monster!

Oh, man, that boys makes me laugh.
As soon as Daddy got home, it was time to open presents.

Craig only got three this year, and he loved them all. Before he opened them, he thought one was a recorder ("And if it's not, I'll be really sad") and one was Legos ("Hopefully jungle Legos!"). Well, he was right!

The Legos are the biggest set I've ever done in my life!

The finished product!

All told, it took me two days to put it together while Craig helped, and he was thrilled about them!

Before playing with Legos or the recorder, though, the kiddos all a break with Daddy to read the spooky books that were Craig's final present, also a big hit.