Toby's 3rd Birthday

I had time to transfer pictures from my camera to my computer today, which prodded me to do some blogging. I'll be trying to play catch up over the next few days. Wish me luck!

Toby turned 3 on February 13. Craziness! We wanted to have a little party to celebrate him. I don't remember for certain, but I'm pretty sure he thought that was a "gate da-dee" (great idea). =) At Toby's request we invited his friend Emma and her family to join us for take-out from Mickey's (one of our favorite restaurants here).

The highlights of the day for Toby were balloons, his train cake, a hamburger (seriously, he talked about that hamburger for weeks afterward), and the bike he got. Small though it was, the party was a great success. Thanks to Emma's family for helping us make it a fun time! If we weren't such slackers, we would have gotten pictures of our guests. =(

The requested train cake. Um, no, cake decorating is NOT my specialty. Jonathan gets the credit for the artwork. =)

Toby's Grandy and Grammy went in with us on the bike. We were so pleased to find one in our price range! There's even a convenient handle there for us to hold when we're helping him learn to ride without training wheels. Toby was so excited about his bike, and he loves to ride it around our patio.

The birthday boy and his bike

It seems unreal that I've been a mama for 3 whole years. Making the adjustment to motherhood wasn't easy for me, but we have had so much fun with our little boy!

Such a cute newborn!

 

Toby at 1 year old

Our 3-year-old big boy

Some things I love about Toby at this age:
 - his love for books. It's so fun to read to him and see him learning and processing his experiences through books. Books are not a passive activity for him. He makes so many connections through looking at books and listening to them.
 - his interest in life, the outdoors, people, bugs, pretty much anything
 - his desire to learn to express himself through words. He challenges me to be careful what I say because he copies my words and intonations so well.
 - his love for music. He loves to listen to kids' music and often bursts into song. It's fun to hear him sing and watch as he gets better and better at carrying a tune.
 - his growing ability to communicate his affection. He's not real big on saying "I love you," but the bedtime kiss from all three of us is a ritual he never forgets. He likes to give hugs and is quick to say "I'm sorry" when the occasion arises.
 - his enthusiasm!!!
 - his growing imagination

Some things I find challenging about this age:
 - his energy. It's hard to help him channel his energy into positive things before it turns into aggression. Poor Abbie is often on the receiving end of said aggression.
 - discipline. Need I say more??
 - his clinginess to me and Jonathan. He's experienced so many changes over the last year and a half that he really isn't comfortable being left with other people. While I sympathize with his insecurity (and feel it's justified), J and I really miss being able to get away for a few hours.

We love you, Toby, and are SO glad you are part of our family!