Maguire Memories: Happy 5th Birthday Conor!

Dear Conor,

Happy 5th Birthday Little Man!!!! What a spectacular day we had. The preparations actually started last night, cooking the pork in the crock pot for the barbecue pork sandwiches you wanted. It also took me much longer than expected to make the homemade macaroni and cheese you were so excited about as part of your menu as well, so good thing I did that Saturday night too. The most random meal item you chose was broccoli so we asked Grandma to make her famous broccoli salad. And Daddy cut up some watermelon to too. Although we invited a few friends and old neighbors (from our months living at Grandma and Grandpa's), only our immediate family could come to the party, but we made it as special as we could.

Since your birthday fell on the day of the closing ceremonies of the Olympics--and we were really into the Olympics at our house--we went with that as our theme. You helped me decorate with red, white, and blue streamers and balloons. We tried to design games as challenging as Olympic events (though the rain put a "damper" on our obstacle course). You wanted a Madagascar cake, and we put some Olympic rings on the cake as well.

Since your birthday was on a Sunday (just like the year you were born), we got up in the morning and went to church. How perfect to start the day thanking God for your precious life. Then we came home and prepared for your party. Everyone got a lei to wear when they arrived and were asked to wear red, white, and/or blue. The guests were all great sports about our theme. We had the Olympics on TV in the background all day and saw a few more US gold medals won. We were able to make it outside in the backyard for a few games in between sprinkles, but we also played balloon volleyball in the basement. You tried out your new baseball tee and your Battleship game, learned some magic tricks and we quizzed you with trivia questions from your new (3rd grade level) game.

You are such a special little guy. You are brilliant. You are reading chapter books (at a 3rd grade level according to your pre-K teacher). You are working on spelling, addition, subtraction and multiplication. You love movies and playing outside. You love superheroes and your mama (can I put those in the same category?). You are very inquisitive. You are sensitive and care about others' feelings. You can still throw a nasty temper tantrum, and you've been known to be pretty good at whining. You hate drop-offs at daycare and still struggle with tears some days, but we try to ward those off by waving at about 5 different windows before we leave. You can be quite independent when you want to be, but you don't rush to do too much on your own without a little encouragement sometimes. In fact, you can be really putz-y when you want to be. You are shy at first in a new environment, but once you find your comfort zone, it's hard to get you to be quiet. You don't like to sleep in your bedroom alone but a little music and some glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling seem to be making it a little less lonely. You are a great snuggler. You like to sleep in just your underwear, unless your Angry Birds pajamas are clean...but even then, sometimes only the shorts. You like to have your window open or fan on. You like to be helpful with projects around the house. You love competition. Swimming is one of your favorite pastimes. Jokes are a new introduction to our conversations and your nightly dinnertime prayers include thanks for family, food, and friends. You often impress others with your thoughts and vocabulary. You have been such a joy in our lives and continue to teach us patience and understanding. Your blue eyes are bright and your smile is contagious. I pray that you will continue to find things to make you happy and things to challenge you. I pray that you will make wise and healthy choices in your physical, emotional, and spiritual life. I pray that you know how much you are loved and cherished, and just how special you are.

Love, Mom

You were so proud to show off your USA gear!