Team Gman

Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games was one of Garyn's favorite Christmas presents. It is still his favorite game to play. As soon as advertisements started for the actual London 2012 Olympic games started, he was beside himself with excitement. {Now that they have started, we are watching it daily to see who gets gold} With all that said, there was no question that he was going to have a Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

{Attempt at family pic}

{better with Pop}

Now I just had to figure out how to combine that with going to the indoor mini golf place here in Chattanooga that he also loves. We went last year on his actual birthday just for a fun day and thought "This would have been a great place to have his party!" So that was also decided early on.
We went with mini golf as an Olympic game and an invite to be on Team Gman in his on Olympics.

{Emma was the youngest team member}

 

{Garyn helped me paint these rings and yes I know they aren't in the right order or position but the magazine I got the idea from just had them as a banner, too :p }

It was a great party place, too! Tyler and I said that day, that is was one of the easiest parties. I think everyone else loved it, too. I know the birthday boy did!

{Pop and Ansley}

{Favors on top of winners stand}

The boys ran wild playing mini golf  Team Gman style.....meaning there was no rules! We had the place to our self so they could do that. In reality, that's what most 5 yr olds want.

{Ansley put forth her effort}

I think 5 is going to be fun but challenging to keep those boundary lines up. Garyn has been exerting his independence more and more. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes bad. He is putting his own clothes on (most of the time); going to the bathroom on his own; gets snacks and drinks out well; and buckles himself in the car. While that is all great, he also thinks he knows everything and gets a little attitude when we try to tell him otherwise. That is a big hurdle we have had to fight lately. The "No, I don't" "Don't tell me that" "No, its not" "But I don't like to" and so on have been a broken record around here. I know it is just a stepping stone to what is to come. We typically take away Wii games when it gets out of control. His obsession with them are the key to getting him to listen. He frequently has melt downs when we don't give him what he wants or when we get on to him. I think some of this stems from Ansley's behavior. When he is happy, though, it just lights up the room, like in this picture.....

{Everyone got gold medals, too!}

Here was his idea for the cake....He was so excited to get all these characters to put on the cake and keep afterwards.

{Sonic had to be in first with Mario right behind. The lady who made our wedding cake made this and it was so good! She let us put the characters on once there. }

The mini golf place also gave everyone ice cream. Not sure what Ansley's scowl face is about; someone probably took her ice cream.

Garyn has gotten a little pickier about what he will eat. I still have to push the veggies, but fruits he needs pushed to not eat too many of. Hamburgers are his favorite meal right now. Then Dr. Pepper and cokes are his next tops. We have always let him get what he wants to drink when we go out which we have been doing too much of this summer.

Garyn is into building things like Lego, so these Knex Mario cars were right up his ally. He actually spent his birthday money on a track set to go with these. He is also into racing. Oh, we race in everything! And he is competitive! Every car ride is a race, every game, eating. Its all a race. We have learned to let him win most of the time. He is just so unhappy when he doesn't win. That's another story, though.

He was also so excited to get the Angry Birds game. We play a lot of board games when Ansley takes a nap. Connect 4, Trouble, Uno, and a Boz game. He is getting so stinking good at them, too! If not a board game, we are playing hide n' seek, tag, or baseball outside. He and daddy have been discussing all the rules of baseball and he lets me know when I am doing something wrong. We are going to sign him up for soccer this fall. And I'm sure he'll do baseball next spring.

He wanted to read every card and out loud, too. He did a good job. He can sit and read just about anything now. He is sounding things he doesn't already know and sometimes gets it wrong. I don't know how he knows to do that, though. Its truly amazing sometimes to think it comes so easy to him. I fear the frustration we may have with Ansley when she acts like a normal child and reads in Kindergarten.

I always love how everyone crowds around to see whats inside.....

We also went to Chuck E. Cheese's the day before his birthday to celebrate a little since daddy had football most of his actual birthday. Nana, Poppa, Uncle Philip and Kadie kept their presents for him to open there.

Then on his actual day, we went to Toys R' Us and he got to spend a little of his birthday money. And daddy was able to meet us at Logan's for late lunch.

We also went to the spray ground that aftertoon with Mckenzie and Brayden so that was a great finish to the day.

I still can't believe he is 5 but am so happy to have had 5 years with him and more to come!