Monday was a public holiday so I didn’t have to go to school, and Mom and Dad didn’t have to go to work either. We decided it would be a great day to finish some unpacking and to also finish my room. Granny arrived early to help too. Daddy got down to cutting and placing flooring in my bedroom, hanging a hammock in my bedroom, a swing on my balcony and new curtain rails. Granny unpacked boxes, and Mommy decorated my cupboard doors and ceiling with a tree, grass and flowers. It looked amazing.

Pretty soon we realised we’d been working so hard that we hadn’t had lunch, so we popped over the road to Papachinos for a late lunch. We ate quickly, and I played. Unfortunately Daddy couldn’t get the car to start as his car key’s battery was flat (I kid you not – one tiny little button battery immobilised an entire car). Not to fret though, as there are always taxis about and within a few minutes we were dropped off at our front door where Daddy got the spare and fetched the car. Soon we were back at work sorting out the house. By the end of the day we were all exhausted and I loved my room!

Tuesday school saw me doing very little work including very little with Nikki. The amazing news we got from Russia was that Ryan got a silver medal, an overall bronze and broke a Commonwealth record in his category for weightlifting. We are super proud of him!

In the afternoon Dad took me to Swept at Morningside Shopping Centre where I had the most amazing hair experience of my life (to call it a hair cut would just not do it justice). Dad has started going there so he took me too. I walked out looking like a rock star, just in time for my birthday the next day.

I awoke to HUGE excitement around the house on Wednesday morning as I was five years old! A birthday cake and tonnes of presents were in my room. I blew out my birthday candles and made a secret wish. Next I opened my presents and was surprised with all my gifts, and completely spoilt! Mom, Dad and I had birthday cake for breakfast and pretty soon I was on my way to school, in high spirits.

At school, Mom arranged for us all to decorate all our own cupcakes for my birthday and also we got balloons with funky glasses. When Mom arrived we were all hyped up and ready for action. It was all great fun. The adults tried to maintain a semblance of order but that didn’t really happen.

Mom sent a special thank you to my doctors for having got me to today, and they all responded with the most wonderful messages!

All I wanted to do in the afternoon was have some friends for a tea party. Unfortunately no one was available so for afternoon tea Mom commandeered Granny and Tammy at CUP Café. We had cake and I even poured tea for everyone. As a special treat Daddy managed to squeeze in a cuppa between meetings, but he was gone soon. It was such fun and felt so grown up!

In the evening, as a treat, Mom and Dad asked me what I most wanted to do for dinner and I said I wanted to go to McDonalds PlayLand in Rivonia. So off we went. En route I Skyped with Ryan whom I’d not seen the whole week as he was off with the flu. It was so awesome that technology keeps us all so close together!

My ‘poor old man’ was booked off work on Thursday and Friday owing to a prolapsed disk in his spine, probably from the DIY and lifting he’d done earlier in the week. The upside was to find him at home after school which is a huge treat for me. In the afternoon on Thursday Helen, Kayla and Kyle popped by for a visit. Kyle was also five now and it was so nice to see him. We have a special connection having spent many a lonely night side by side in our cots in neo-natal ICU. We had great fun with playing trains and watching TV. Kyle giggled when Dad showed him Whiff, because both Whiff and Kyle have the same glasses and are both wise souls. Kyle counts to 26 and is an awesome friend to have.

Friday I had a short day at school as I had OT with Lauren. In the afternoon at home I played with my new toys and had a wonderful time. During the afternoon Mom, Dad and I constructed my Thomas the Tank Engine cake for my party the next day. It looked awesome! In the evening we went to Sandton City for movies. We watched Epic in 3D which we all thoroughly loved, except I was a little scared of the ‘bad guys’.

After movies we collected my balloons and the entire car was filled with Thomas the Tank Engine balloons for the drive home. I was lost amongst them. Reminding me of my first birthday trip home in the car. Yes of course I remember that far back.

Saturday morning we headed off to Cedar Square where we were celebrating my birthday at Avalanche, a 65m high artificial ski slope. After setting up the table our guests started arriving, and kids and adults alike spent the morning ‘bum boarding’. It was tough going up the steep incline, even with the assisted motorised rope, but coming down was a blast. Just about everyone did it! Even Daddy with his spinal injury – it was just too good to miss out (although we had pumped him full of drugs so he wouldn’t feel it!).

We took a break from bum boarding and climbing on the jungle gym to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake, and pretty soon we were on the slope again. Eventually by midday we were all exhausted and it was time to go home. Hugs and goodbyes were liberally spread about and I fell into a deep sleep on the drive home.

Much to my old folks’ consternation I woke up as we got home – I think they were hoping to have a snooze too. No such luck. It was time to open my pressies and do some more play. Admittedly by the time evening rolled by we were all exhausted, but not too tired for me to do a dance for Mom and Dad to Gentlemen by PSY (see link below)!

We had a post party breakfast at the Sandton City Wimpy on Sunday and ran some errands. One of them was handing Dad’s Nikon camera in for repairs – he’d dropped it on my birthday and the lens broke off.

Back home in the afternoon we chilled around the house, me playing with my toys and Dad trying to get his study into a functional fashion.

Well that’s it for this week. To everyone who sent me wishes via email, SMS, eCards, FaceBook, Twitter etc. thank you soooooooo much! I felt truly special!

Love

Jarrod

Video 1 Dancing to PSY’s Gentlemen

Video 2 Bum boarding with Mom

Video 3 Bum boarding with Dad

Photo 1 Driving Lightning McQueen

Photo 2 Struggling to keep the door closed

Photo 3 Having a ‘HamBirgitt’ at Papachinos (my name for hamburgers)

Photo 4 Its goooooood

Photo 5 Chilling on my balcony

Photo 6 Helping Mom make my birthday cake

Photo 7 Yum

Photo 8 My room! Swinging in my hammock

Photo 9 Loving my indoor swing

Photo 10 Having my hair cut . . . spiky

Photo 11 Posing like a Rock Star

Photo 12 Reading at Khoki

Photo 13 Ryan’s certificate (Garth is actually his real first name)

Photo 14 Just for the record…..

Photo 15 Birthday morning!

Photo 16 Checking out my candles

Photo 17 Huff and puff

Photo 18 Pressie time

Photo 19 Ripping off the wrapping

Photo 20 Another one

Photo 21 Loving it

Photo 22 Yay! Sodor Steam Works

Photo 23 Birthday card from my folks

Photo 24 Checking out my toys

Photo 25 Happiness

Photo 26 Pre-school play

Photo 27 Chocolate cake. Breakfast. Don’t judge me.

Photo 28 Setting up Sodor ‘upstairs’

Photo 29 Celebrating at school

Photo 30 School party

Photo 31 Looking cool

Photo 32 Nathi looking suave

Photo 33 Candles in class

Photo 34 Group photo

Photo 35 We decorated our own cupcakes

Photo 36 Tammy birthday hugs

Photo 37 Happiness

Photo 38 Playing at CUP Café

Photo 39 Serving tea

Photo 40 Family tea

Photo 41 Gymnastic rings on my balcony

Photo 42 And go!

Photo 43 Upside-down

Photo 44 The cake taking shape

Photo 45 Applying the icing

Photo 46 Putting on the all important trains

Photo 47 Mommy adding finesse to the tunnel

Photo 48 The finer details

Photo 49 Adding some ‘grass’

Photo 50 Looking awesome

Photo 51 Mom’s tree

Photo 52 I can’t wait for Despicable Me 2 with the minions to start next week

Photo 53 Minions also need hugs

Photo 54 Surrounded by balloons after movies for my party the next day

Photo 55 Party!!!!!!

Photo 56 Dad being dragged (unsuccessfully) up the slope

Photo 57 And down he goes….

Photo 58 Having fun

Photo 59 Jaco and Kate heading up the slope

Photo 60 Anthony and Morgan

Photo 61 Jaco and Kate whizzing down

Photo 62 Gene all smiles

Photo 63 Heavy traffic up the slope

Photo 64 Dad and I

Photo 65 Morgan and Anthony

Photo 66 Dad’s not so elegant dismount

Photo 67 Nina’s very elegant dismount

Photo 68 Nina going solo

Photo 69 Going down with Cousin ‘The Muscle’ Ryan

Photo 70 Tammy and me going up

Photo 71 Tammy and me going down

Photo 72 Tanya and Morgan

Photo 73 More spoiling

Photo 74 Chilling

Photo 75 Climbing with Semori

Photo 76 Up to no good

Photo 77 Joseph planning something

Photo 78 Thomas the Tank Engine balloons

Photo 79 Cake time

Photo 80 Making more wishes

Photo 81 Hectic

Photo 82 Birthday boy

Photo 83 Another go

Photo 84 Second wish

Photo 85 Wow! I’m 5!

Photo 86 Bouncing with Morgan

Photo 87 It was a GREAT party

Photo 88 Picking at my Thomas cake

Photo 89 Passed out.

Photo 90 My new PJs

3 Comments on I’m Five!

  1. Happy birthday Jay Bee!!

  2. Yvette Peterson says:

    Awesome photos, you looked like you had a great time! Happy birthday, little man!

  3. Anne Preston says:

    Happy Birthday Jarrod!

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