On the 27th, Liam turned 3. His birthday is always at the end of a marathon of gatherings and celebrations, but his birthday only comes once per year and we’re going to celebrate, dagnabbit! It’s simultaneously hard to believe that it’s only been 3 years since we became parents and that there was ever a time when Liam wasn’t a part of our lives. I guess that’s just how it works with these things.
It was Liam’s day and he wanted to start it with a little Chutes and Ladders:
This picture was taken just before an epic exchange that nearly resulted in Liam’s presents being given away to children who don’t have any presents.
I won’t go into the particulars but suffice it to say that it’s more than a little difficult to feel anything but frustration when you’re 3 years old and you’re given loads of fun things to play with and then asked to put them all aside in order to open more fun things to play with. We eventually got past this bump in the road and Liam decided he’d like to open his birthday presents.
“It’s a car, Mama!”
“Thomas!”
Arches and columns and stairs, oh my!
Mama’s little monkey:
Apparently all we needed to get Liam to voluntarily take a bath was to give him new bath toys.
Shooting hoops:
Tub flutes:
When we asked Liam what he wanted for his birthday he told us “chocolate cake and pizza.” That’s exactly what he got. Thank goodness his Gran loves to bake!
“There’s a ‘3’ in the M&Ms!”
Firefighting birthday boy:
Firefighting Aunt G:
Dynamic duo:
When the birthday boy wants pizza, the birthday boy gets pizza. Even if no one else is quite ready…
Liam gets down to business:
‘Mote control firetruck!
Velveteen Rabbit:
He’s still just as fascinated with this as he was when he first opened it:
Thomas stickers!
Pete the Cat (which he had memorized after 3 readings — the unmistakable mark of a fast favorite):
“Pete the Cat animal” (which is how he refers to this when he’s getting ready to go to bed…which he no longer does without Pete):
Cake!
Yay!
And so begins the saga of the blowing out of the candles…
Consternation:
Effort and anticipation:
If at first you don’t succeed…
Try…
…and try…
…and try…
…and try…
…but when in doubt?
Get a little help from Dad!
Hooray!
And now? Let’s eat!
And the cake didn’t stop on Liam’s birthday. The next week when he went back to school Gran came through again with cupcakes to share with his friends.
Liam wasn’t at all disappointed that there were some leftovers…
If deliciousness of a cupcake can be measured by the amount of mess a toddler can make with it…
(and I’m pretty sure that it can)
Then I think we can count this cupcake (and this birthday) a smashing success!