Flanagan Clan

On Wednesday night we threw a small family birthday party for Ethan. I had originally thought we’d throw a big celebration and invite some friends, but when we learned that my parents would be leaving for vacation this weekend, we opted for a smaller party instead. With my dad beginning a year-long leave of absence in January and planning several large trips, we thought it would be good for the boys to have concentrated Oma and Opa time :o) So here’s our pictures:

While I was busy getting dinner ready, Ethan got to play out in the leaves with his brothers. He loved it! He tries to crawl out the door every time someone leaves it open, which is totally the opposite of Sammy. He’s seriously the most active out of the three…

Ethan got a special pumpkin embroidered diaper, that I’ve been saving for this day for months!!!

I made a delicious beef pot pie and I shaped the biscuits on top to look like pumpkins, which actually wasn’t too easy considering how doughy the stuff was. I also tried to dye them orange. This is the dish before I baked it :o)

This was the cake I made. It was the first time I played with fondant for the stem, leaf and tendrils and it wasn’t perfect, but I thought it turned out pretty well regardless :o)

Ethan got a fancy Gerber entree for dinner… and the whole time Sammy was peering over the edge, trying to eat some…

A shot of the table…

Ethan was having a blast!!!

Patrick got to sit next to Oma

Ethan smashing his cake!

Covered in cake and having a good old time!

Opa got to read Patrick and Sammy an anatomy book that Aunt Karen gave Patrick for his b-day, and he made sure to point out the mistakes :o)

Ethan had a lot of help opening up his presents

Patrick was showing Ethan the only right way to open a present

Ethan got a ducky book!

Daddy even helped Ethan open his gifts

Ethan’s best gift, though, was getting to spend lots of time with Oma and Opa!

Ethan has a love/hate relationship with ice cream, as can be seen by this movie that was taken last night during Ethan’s birthday party.

Don’t worry… more photos to follow!!!

I know you’d say that I’m biased, but my boys are seriously so very cute. I don’t know if it has to do with the whole “he’s got a face that only a mother could love” thing, or if others would agree, but here are some adorable pictures from the last week or so!

Sir Ethan

My little knight in shining armor

Ethan loves his Goodmamas!

Sammy is flying!!! (My legs were 90 degrees bent from my body and he was resting on my feet!)

Patrick rests on Mommy’s feet, too, though he’s quite a bit heavier…

I’m actually not sure who took this picture…

Patrick digging into his birthday cake

Ethan got a piece of cheesecake

Sammy got cheesecake, too!

Cheesecake head

The Future Dr. Patrick Flanagan (thanks for the doctor set, Aunt Karen!!!)

Monster crawling on the floor

Giggle Monster!

Patrick’s Preschool did the Pumpkin Patch today

Sammy was excited about being at the pumpkin patch again!

Pumpkin patches are very serious business!

Preschoolers climbing on the giant pumpkin

Sammy was again enthralled by the animals

Patrick begins his quest to pick out the perfect pumpkin

My pumpkin patch boys!

Thinking about choosing a different pumpkin

Sammy and the corn maze

Brothers…

Getting lost…

Patrick informed me that they were going around in circles…

…and finally finding the way out…

Ethan got to ride on Mommy’s back until the very, very end…

Ethan in all his pumpkin glory…

My littlest pumpkin

Exploring the wonders of being amidst the pumpkins

Rolling around inbetween pumpkins

Climbing on top of pumpkins

…and loving every minute of it

My Sweet Little Pumpkin Patch Boys

Today Ethan woke up with one foot on the wrong side of the crib. Literally. This morning Ethan started crying and Andrew ran in to find his leg, just above the kneecap, firmly stuck inbetween two of the slats. This was not the first time that Ethan had gotten his leg stuck in the crib. I don’t remember Patrick ever getting stuck, and Sammy had his leg stuck in there a couple times, but this must have been about the 10th time that Ethan has gotten himself stuck in the crib. We took out the bumper when he began to really roll around since it can create a suffication hazzard, and now that he’s pulling up it can create a stranglation hazzard. So now he just gets stuck. But this time was different… this time I could not, for the life of me, get his leg out. He must have slept all night like that because his leg was a bit swollen. So Andrew did the one thing he could think to do… he sawed in half one of the crib slats to free Ethan’s leg. It came out a little bruised but otherwise fine. But now I don’t know what to do with him! The crib was purchased new and the slats follow the mandatory spacing (no more than 2 3/8 inches apart), so I know it’s not going to be recalled for that. And we are planning to have at least one more child, so we’re not about to get rid of it. I think we might have Ethan sleep in the pack ‘n play for a little while. He’s such a wiggly, active little boy, and at least there are no slats for him to get his feet stuck in if he’s in there. I don’t know what else to do!!!

Today this little guy had a birthday. He turned FOUR! My little sweet pumpkin, Patrick, is now 4. I am still in unbelief. Today after lunch I told him that we could go to the store together to pick out a small present as soon as Sammy was down for a nap (Andrew was at home, don’t worry!!!). So Patrick, who was downstairs with Sammy, helped Sammy get upstairs to his room, helped him climb into bed, prayed with him, sang “Jesus Loves Me” with him, and just as he was about to walk out of the room he turned and gave Sammy a kiss. I was a proud mama lurking in the hallway, with the boys unaware that anyone was eavesdropping in the background. It was so sweet!!!

Since we had his party last weekend, we didn’t do anything very big today. I did get him a little molten lava cake at Safeway that we’ll stick a few candles in and let him eat after we have Aunt Mary’s famous sloppy joe’s and fresh corn on the cob for dinner. I did save one last present for him to open, too :o)

Here’s Patrick on his 1st birthday. Notice the much loved duck dog in the corner. I can’t get over how similar he looks to Ethan, even now after a full year! Patrick’s face is still more round and Ethan’s oblong, but in this picture you can’t tell as well since he has his mouth open. In two short weeks, it’s going to be Ethan’s first birthday. I just can’t believe how time flies…

Happy Birthday, my sweet little Patrick boy…