The world changes when you turn four.  Mysteries that befuddled you before fall open before your eyes.  You are older, wiser, and more mature.  Even the most fundamental things change.  Instead of going when the countdown reaches 3 (as in 1, 2, 3!) Isaac now goes on 4.  It just happened one day.  Instead of 3, it was 4 that mattered.  Over the four weeks or so, it has been shortened to simply: "4!"

Here is a video example.  Note right before he breaks the sticks he shouts out "4!"  Its been that way for a month now and it is still hilarious each time he does it.

Its official--Auntie Monica and Uncle Rob are having a girl!  We are all super pumped and Isaac is having fantasies of bossing around a little cousin, showing them the ropes. While Nanna was here Isaac and Nanna talked about names and Isaac came up with a few choice ones.  If it was a boy (which its not) Isaac liked Nick or Jack or Jackie Nick.  But it was the girl name that really had a sense of "Isaac-ness".  One day Isaac announced that Auntie Monica's baby, if a girl, should go by the name Heather in the Leather.  Its a great name--it rhymes, its easy to remember, and there is very little chance there will be another Heather in the Leather in her room at daycare.  And when she grows up she has built in job prospects and a website name.  She can make her own handmade wallets, belts, and purses.  What were you thinking you pervert?

This has been a while coming, but we had lots of fun events between June 9th and today.

Its hard to describe how important June 9th has become.  It is really like a second Christmas, with all of the anticipation and planning that goes with that distinction.  This year we got Isaac a pedal bike.  Its not something we expect him to love right now, but it will be something he can grow in to. Bianca got him a stuffed animal giant squid.  I got him a Green Arrow figure.  Nanna and P-Pa got him...wait for it...a self-inflatable mattress (allowing for instant pillow mosh pit).  Nanny and Poppa Dom got him a wide range of Ninja Turtles paraphernalia.  He loved them all, but the mattress and the squid, now known as Jackie Nick, are his two constant companions.  I totally struck out on the Green Arrow, despite the ordeal that I went through to get to it.   Oh well.

The night before Bianca went through the process of making him a cake, but the train cake, much to Poppa Dom's chagrin, was retired in favor of a Ninja Turtles cake.   Here is Bianca being silly (yes, she is on occasion, totally silly):



Here is just the cake:



Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "turtle head poking out." You can thank Mike Myers for that gem.

Our house was converted to a shrine to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  We put up all sorts of Ninja Turtle stuff--two giant posters still up on our fence in the backyard, balloons galore, banners...it was a love note to the Ninja Turtles in birthday party form.

Almost the entire Nap clan in Rhode Island came up AND Nanna and P-Pa came in to town.  The plan was to have Nanna come in for the birthday and P-Pa to come in later.  That plan lasted about five minutes, as P-Pa was not about to miss his grandson's 4th birthday.  Here are the three cousins around the cake:



And the big moment in video form:


We opened presents, had a Nerf battle, obliterated a pinata--all of the normal birthday festivities.

In the end, we all had a great time and I am stunned at how big he has gotten.  He is smart and engaging.  He is funny and tells jokes.  He cares about people and what people think of him.  The four years he has been alive have given me memories so intense they can overwhelm me just thinking about them.  He has gone from this:



to this:



Happy Birthday Isaac Anthony! And thank you everyone for the wonderful gifts.