HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY!

You celebrated your birthday this evening with Daddy, Mommy and Ben. You wanted to green cupcakes (a little food coloring did the trick) and so we had those instead of cake. You got some new jammies (Spiderman, Power Rangers and Thomas the Train) and a new GeoTracks set. We also got you some new books and a pretend tool set (you love to pretend to be Bob the Builder). We celebrated the next day with Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Becky and Aunt Jeanette. You helped decorate your cake with Aunt Becky (which looked like a Halloween cake when it was finished, but hey it's your birthday). You got lots of new toys from everyone, including a new camera (a real one), Cars toys, dinosaur toys, some new shirts and a sleep over set with pillow and blanket. You love all your new toys and had a lot of fun at Grandpa and Grandma's house. Hope you had a wonderful 3rd birthday!!! Here are lots of pictures!

Three Years Old

Another year has past and now you are three years old. You have changed so much in the last year it's just amazing. You talk like nothing else now, and we can carry on conversations with you like anyone else. You are certainly a boy and can be very rough and you love to jump, run and crash into as many things are you can! You love to be tickled and you love reading books at night time. When it's daylight outside, you call it "wake up time" and mommy and penguin are "your bestest girls in the world." There are times when you don't stop giving kisses and hugs and then there are times when you call everyone a "bad boy" because you are not getting your way. You absolutely adore Jacob and look up to him in every sense. You think you are just as big as your Jakey and you that you can do everything he does. You love taking baths with Ben and you are a gentle big brother for the most part. You are starting to be particular about what you were, and sometimes it a struggle to get you to wear "nice clothes." A huge thing that you accomplished is potty training!!! One day you woke up and wanted to wear underpants and from that day one you have used the potty! You love Thomas the Train and Cars and Spiderman and the Hulk (even though I won't let you watch those movies just yet). You love being my "bestest helper in the world" and you always like to pull your chair up to the kitchen counter to see what foods are being prepared and cooked. You have your favorites friends at school (daycare), Zachery, Jake, Kaylie and you have a lot of fun together. And you have had a lot of fun going over their houses and playing. Your getting taller and starting to loose that "baby" look in your face and you have declared that you are a big boy (although sometimes when you don't want to be a big boy, you say "I am just a kid"). You certainly have to have things a certain way (which you get from me, sorry). You love the days when it's just you and Daddy and all you do is play with him all day. Sometimes when I ask you to do things, you say "I am busy now" or "I have lots to do!" I love how you repeat the things we say in your own little way. Yes, another year has gone by and you are getting bigger and smarter and can do so much on your own now. And you will always be "my bestest boy in the whole wide world."

Three Year Check-Up

I just like to document your yearly doctor appointments so that is what this post is for. Today you had your three year check up and you were not happy about it! First you had to be weighed (36 pounds) and then measured, which you did not want to do at all (but after Mommy showing how to stand there and the nurse holding Ben, so that she couldn't touch you either, we got your height), at 38.25 inches. For height you are in the 75% and weight you are in the 90%. Ben also had his check-up and the nurse and doctor looked at him first thinking that it would make it easier when it was your turn. But, nope that did not work and you clung to me like glue. But the doctor checked you over and you looked great! And the good news.... no shots and we don't have to go back for another year!

Thomas the Train

Today we went to see Thomas the Train at Greenfield Village. You were very excited to go and I even got you a new Thomas the Train T-Shirt for your special day. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot we could hear Thomas's whistle and you couldn't wait to find him. We got our tickets and found the path to Thomas, stopping along the way for some lunch. You loved riding aboard Thomas and had a great time. After the train ride, we stopped at the carousel and you got some Thomas tattoos. You also played with lots of the Thomas tracks they had set up and I let you pick out something from the gift shop, which you picked out a Thomas the Train watch. We also walked around Greenfield Village and you found all the train stuff very interesting. You even got to see Thomas and Percy's shed were they sleep. It was a great day and you had a ton of fun! Here are some pictures and there is a little video below.

Pump It Up Party!

Today your friend Jake had his birthday party at Pump It Up! You were very excited about it (you are always excited about birthday parties) and couldn't wait to play with all your friends. When we got there you kinda hung onto my hand, but when we got inside and you got to see what you got to play on, you took off and never stopped running! There were huge inflatable slides, bouncers and obstacle courses. You ran from one to next and around again. The slide was your favorite, up and down you went, over and over again. You were excited to see your buddy Dean too, since him and Ms. Lynn are not at Kindercare any longer. After some very hard playing we had some pizza and ice cream and cake. I think you had an awesome time!!! Here are some pictures (it was hard to get a clear picture of you and your friends, since you wouldn't stop running)!

I am Big Boy now!

It's been three days in a row now..... you are wearing big boy underwear and using the potty!!! You can use the potty all by yourself and you are doing great at it. You went to school all day yesterday in your underwear and did great! You just decided to do this all on your own. I mean we have been trying to work with you for about the last year, but you had your good days and bad days and didn't mind your diaper or pull-up. But all of the sudden you decided you are a big boy! I am so proud of you!!!

soccer... (not so much)

I have been wanting to get you started into sports for awhile now. Probably because you have so much energy and I figured it would be a good way to release some of it! I was looking through our local sports schedule and saw that they offered soccer for your age. I was so excited and signed you up right away. I talked about it with you a lot and you seemed to get really excited about it to. We would pass by the field and talked about how you were going to play. We went to Target and got a new soccer ball and knee pads. The first day of soccer came and you were pretty excited. We went out on the field and you loved kicking the ball around and running around. You really seemed to have a good time. The next week we of course went again and it took you just a little bit longer to get to the field (that swing set looked a little bit more fun). But you still had fun, as long as I stayed right by you. The third week we made it again, but you were a little bit resistant. You really were not nearly as excited as the first week and I think I kicked the ball more than you did. Week four, I think we left halfway through, because you mostly just stood on the field. Week five, we skipped. Maybe will we try again next year....
Here are a few pics I did manage to get!

Penguin

About a week or two before we moved to Grammy and Papa's house you found this yellow duck that I got as a gift from your baby shower. But you didn't call it a duck, you called it a penguin and it stuck. This penguin has become your new best friend. You carry him everywhere, to the grocery store, to school, to church, to dinner, to your friend's houses. And most importantly you have to have him to sleep with every night. There are times when we cannot find your penguin and you are not happy until he is found. There have been times that we have forgotten him places (usually at school) and I have to turn around and go back and get him. At night time when I am tucking into bed, penguin also gets kisses and hugs. You are not always nice to penguin, he is thrown, kicked and is dirty only a few hours after I secretly throw him in the washing machine. You think a lot about your penguin and I truly think that you care a lot about him.

Babycakes

Lately you have been very lovey. And I really need to get you on video, because I know before I know it, it's going to be a struggle to capture hugs and kisses from you. But for the past couple weeks you just love to give hugs and kisses and say "I Love You." Daddy calls you his babycakes and you tell us that we are your babycakes (along with your penguin too). I love the way you hug too, you have to have your cheek touch the other person's cheek and when you give kisses you hold onto the other person's face and pucker up! You are just the sweetest little boy and I know you have to grow up, but I don't ever want you too. I want you to stay this innocent little boy that you are right now and that loves to give me hugs and kisses and I love yous every ten minutes. You just make my heart melt and I hope that this stage lasts a long long time.

Shovelin'

Today Daddy stayed home with you and Ben while Mommy was at work. It was nice and sunny out and the driveway really needed to be shoveled, so you and Daddy tried to get some of it shovel while Ben took a nap. Daddy said that you had a lot of fun helping him shovel and you also made a snowman together!