Jack's Birthday

Jack had a great day for his birthday!  It was a Friday, so that meant that it was a weekend here in Kuwait!  He woke up to streamers on his door, a sign downstairs and a note from Mommy and Daddy awaiting him on the TV :)  He opened his presents (loved them all - legos, gift cards, cool remote control triceratops, comic book Bible, Star Wars comic book, xBox and gamecube games!)!  His choice for breakfast was pancakes with chocolate chips in them!  We sang him Happy Birthday!  We went to church and he shared Smore's Mini Cups with his friends there.  Then we stopped on the way home from church to try and take our Family Christmas Picture...I think we got it!  

His choice for lunch was Macaroni and Cheese and Stove Top Stuffing with sliced up hot dogs mixed in :)  Lunch of champions!  He hasn't had it in over a year and a half, since we can't find Stove Top here - we did bring a box back with us this summer so I knew we could make it on his birthday!  We hung out, he made both sets of Legos and played some Game Cube...before we headed out to Dan's work for Trick or Treating Halloween Celebration!  He had a great day - and a great night.  We'll cover Halloween (early) for us in the next post! 

 The sign awaiting Jack (and his sisters) on the TV in the morning

 The Birthday Boy and his presents!!!

 Opening them

 So fun!

 Showing Daddy how cool it looks

 The girlies watching him open presents

 Chocolate Chip pancake breakfast!  We stuck a candle in the middle of his pancakes to sing to him - and it melted!  From the heat of the pancake - I hadn't even lit it yet!

 And an outtake from our family pictures :)  

Happy 9th Birthday Jack!!!  We love you!!!

Hi, My Name is Jack vol. 5

 

...And I'm the Birthday Boy because today I turn 9!!!

Here's a little bit about me:

Job:  I am in Third Grade.  This is the first year I have had to take Arabic.  I don't like it, but  I am doing well in it, though.  I like Math - it's my best subject and I'm really good in it.  I like the people in school.  I like recess because that is the time I get to play soccer and do other sports.  Each week we play a dodgeball tournament and there will be a championship in one or two weeks.  Music, Art and Drama I don't like that much. 

What I've been reading:  I've been reading the Ranger's Apprentice Series - Daddy and Megan have read the whole series and I'm currently on book 9.  Mommy made me a cloak so I could be a Ranger for Halloween at school since we had to dress like a character from a book.  I like to read Superhero comics.  I've also been reading some of the Who Was/Is series about important people.  Oh, and the How to Train your Dragon series.

My favorite things to do:  Play video games.  My favorite xBox 360 games are Lego games (Batman, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones - I'm getting Lego Lord of the Rings for my birthday, but it hasn't come out yet).  Dad just brought home a Nintendo Game Cube, so I've been playing Super Mario Sunshine with Mommy.  I like to build Legos.  I like to play soccer at school with my friends.  I like to ride my bike and play in the sand dunes across from our house.  I also like going off the curb and skidding on my bike.  I like to play upstairs with Megan (and Kylie).  I like wrestling with them and with Daddy.  I like any kind of remote control vehicles - I just got a remote control helicopter for my birthday from a friend and am really good at flying it.  I like to drive anything.  I like to have playdates with friends.  I love to visit the Farm in Malone.  I love to swim in the pool and in the breakers at the beach.  I love to snuggle my Mommy.  I love to have sleepovers with Megan and Kylie.  I love to sleep with Cheetah.  

Least favorite things to do:  Eat vegetables.  Do chores around the house (but I am a good helper for Mommy).  Go to bed. 

Favorite shows or movies:  The Avengers movie, the X-men movies (Mommy let me watch most of them, but edited some scenes while the girls were at a party), Star Wars Clone Wars, Good Luck Charlie, cartoons (Jetsons, Tom and Jerry, Flintstones, Popeye), Superhero shows (Spectacular Spiderman, X-men Evolution and Iron Man Armored Adventures).  

Favorite Sayings:  Can I play xBox?  Oh my goodness.  Dhopp (stop when he's really grumpy).  Who farted?  Do we have to?  Why?  Megan, wanna go play upstairs?  Daddy can we wrestle?  Da-eee!  Can we look on Amazon?  Can I play Friv?  Can I have a playdate with...?

Favorite Foods:  Macaroni and Cheese with stuffing and chopped up hotdogs.  Noodles.  Cucumbers.  Tacos.  Pizza.  Spaghetti.  Pancakes.  Scrambled Eggs.  Bacon.  Ice Cream.  Milkshakes.  Cake. 

Things I did while I was 8:  Learned how to do multiplication and division.  Began learning Arabic.  Attended a Camel Race (and cried because the last one was so far behind and no one cheered him on).  Tubed down the Shenandoah.  Attended 2 weddings.  Saved up my money from October to July to purchase 2 huge Lego sets.  Attended my first VBS (Vacation Bible School) and loved it.  Played Dodge ball after school and now have started playing Soccer after school. 

Closest Buddies:  Bader, Talib, Abdullah and Gun ha from school.  Cole and Josh.

What I want to be when I grow up:  I want to work at the Embassy like my Dad, because going to places on free airplane rides seems really cool.  Also because work gives you extra money at places to eat and if you have leftover money you get to keep it.

Why Mommy loves me:  Because every day I get home from school with my face, hands and knees covered in black dirt.  The first thing I do - every day when I walk in the door - is wash my hands and face...because Mommy makes me.  Because I wake up nicely every morning, even if I don't particularly want to go to school, get dressed, eat breakfast and kiss Mommy while she's finishing making our lunches.  Because I am sweet and smart and kind and helpful.  Because Mommy loves that I am so kind to little kids and say "Aww" when I see a little baby.  Because even though I don't like homework, I love to get it done and over with, so I can play and have fun.  Because even though I fight with my sisters, I stick up for them and side with them - completely.  Because I love Jesus and God and even though I don't always love going to church, I loved going to VBS this summer.  Because I sing all. the. time. in our house, but if someone asks me to sing, I close my mouth.  Because I'm me! 

 Going off curbs

 Playing xBox

 Jack and Mommy

 Hanging out in the hay mow in Malone

 Jack and Megan

 Kylie and Jack

Sweet Kiddos!

Jack's 9th Birthday Party

Jack turns 9 later this week, but as later this week is a holiday here in Kuwait and a lot of families travel, we celebrated this weekend!  We had a Minute to Win It Birthday Party for Jack!  It was a great time, with 4 friends who were able to make it and lots of fun challenges for the kids.  We did Hanky Panky - the tissue box pull, Nose Dive - picking up cotton balls with vaseline on your nose, Noodling Around - where you have to stack 3 penne pasta noodles on a spaghetti noodle, Suck It Up - where you have to suck up 5 Skittles one at a time onto your straw and then dump it into a cup, This Blows - where they had to use a straw to blow a plastic cup down the length of the table and Breakfast Scramble - where they had to put together a puzzle made out of a cereal box!  Everyone had a blast and enjoyed the challenges - I think it was a great party for 8 and 9 year old boys!  We, of course, also did Pass the Parcel - a standard in our house!  

Jack's Birthday Invitation

Our Family

 The Birthday Boy and Mom

 The Birthday Boy and Dad

 Our decorations - the table couldn't have anything on it, since we were using it for all the challenges

 Red, white and blue theme

 Balloons on the bamboo ladder

 The Game Begins in 3-2-1

 Jack's cake with a stopwatch theme for the countdowns!

 His best buddies in Kuwait 

Jack, Bader, Talib and Gun ha

 Getting ready for the first game - Hanky Panky, the tissue pull!

 A flurry of activity!

 Blowing cups down the super smooth and shiny table didn't take long!

 Kylie getting it!

 Megan sprawled on the table instead of running around to the other side

 Suck it up - trying to suck up skittles onto the end of their straws to place them in a cup!  Jack was the clear winner!

 Megan's nose with vaseline on it for Nose Dive

 A pro at shaking them off into the cup!

 Noodling Around when he finished!

 Breakfast Scramble - the kids did great putting them together!  It was a great way to make puzzles!

 Jack with his cereal namesake

 Megan with one of the hardest ones - and she rocked it!

 Kylie was super quick - quicker than I thought she would be!

 Pass the Parcel - always fun!  Bader won the prize inside - a huge box of Mike & Ikes, plus everyone got a pack of gum!

 The Whole Crew

Talib, Bader, Zade, Jack, Gun ha, Kylie and Megan

 And doing their versions of Fist of Rock!

 Singing Happy Birthday in English, Arabic and Spanish to the Birthday Boy!

 Enjoying his blue cake with blue icing...and ice cream!

 Everyone enjoyed it!

 Opening presents!

 A watch, a remote control helicopter, a game and a shooter car - so fun!

A great birthday party!