My favorite conductor in the whole wide world!

The big 3!!!

Bday last year

THREE years old today! WOW! I feel like more than one year has passed us up in this time period. All you have been through in the past year and you are ONLY 3?! Incredible.

You are MORE than amazing, Sushi! You HAVE TO know this! You are the bravest, stongest, most courageous boy I know AND love!

You had a fun-filled birthday weekend! Yup, you received an entire bday weekend. You and everyone else needed and deserved it. It was worth every expensive little penny! You were full of energy, cuddles and spunk the entire time. We anticipated some slow spots but you had joyous times to tackle! You were unstoppable!

You still love trains, Thomas, pirates, candy and chocolate. Your fav play buddy continues to be your big bro Triston. And yet, since T began K you have reached out to Caden in a sweet way. You can be so affectionate. You are my cuddlebug. In the past year you have become VERY attached to me (no complaints here).  Lately you will pause time at any part of the day and tell me I am beautiful. Where did you get that from? Lovely. More than lovely.  It melts me everytime. I often overhear you telling Triston and Caden you love them, again a paused moment in time that you just had to share right then and there. And you get frustrated if they don't say it in return almost immediately. That is so YOU! You still lack patience at times but I admire your feistiness. You have big plans and are eager to see them through. RIGHT then and there sometimes! Your A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E.  is ever present these days.  You insist on doing almost everything in your day on your own. Nonetheless, I love every bit that makes you YOU!

I hope for a positive 3 yr old year for you, Sushi. The time for you to grow ever more into yourself and discover your amazing abilities. I see first-hand day in and day out what you are capable of and I look forward to the day you see it for yourself. You will blow yourself away! It is beyond impressive, baby!

I am eager to observe the relationships with your brothers evolve further. You are such a huge piece of this puzzle we call family. Caden and Triston rely on you just as much as you do them. Just wait and see. What a dynamic threesome you boys make!

You know all 26  letters of the alphabet. all shapes, most numerals 1-10 and most colors ( you keep switching up a few here and there). You love the Ipad, books and games. You like to do "homework" when T is doing his. I must start making up some projects for you! You enjoy watching almost anything T does. If you get the TV to yourself you choose Thomas, Team Umizoomi, Spongebob, SuperWhy, BubbleGuppies, Polar Express, Word World, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sesame Street (just recently bc of Caden), and you are beginning to become a fellow fan of Giada (thanks T).

As literal of a thinker you are, you also have an abstract side to you. Your wheels are always turning and before I know it you are spitting out the result of a scenario before the possibilities have even occurred. A few steps ahead of me at times. You are definitely an observer. You take everything in. I love listening to you.

Your vocabulary is incredible! And to this day, of all the kids I have cared for in my lifetime, YOU have the cutest most unique voice. I love the fluctuations in your voice. It is all yours! And while we are speaking of your vocal output---that laugh of yours is still contagious! It is like you have perfected it the past year! Pee your pants funny!

I could write so much more about how wonderful you are, G, for so many mommy reasons, fighter reasons, cancer reasons and just plain YOU reasons. An evening does not go by that I am thankful to have you in my life. Your mere presence makes our family beyond special. You are special. You are destined for beautiful things. That heart of yours is full of so much love and life. I love you down the track, through the tunnel and back! Happy 3!

We luv us some PIRATES!

Sept 19th
Talk Like a Pirate Day

Arrrrr Mateys! Here is our Pirate day afterschool activity! It was easy and cute. T entertained himself and G added his own scribbles to my artwork for him. We used pillow cases so that it didn't just become some flat art piece that ended up in a corner. I wanted it to have some use (without having the energy to put together a treasure hunt in the backyard!). Instead of fabric markers (bc I didn't really think this out or have energy -once again) I used permanent markers. I noticed the permanent markers on T's prek grad shirt that I made him have held the stormy seas (washing machine) so that solved that. We took care of homework, early dinnner and got to drawing. T wanted to use his Neverland magnet from the Peter Pan show as a guide. After a bit I encouraged him to use his OWN imagination and he did. It was a nice change of pace from the usual afterschool madness. And now they can keep them forever. Happy Pirate Day.

My little firecracker!

Found these from 4th of July!

What have I started?!

Anytime we enter the yard o'paradise ALL boys must go potty. Grayson is notorious for being the first to get soaked and the first to squeal he has to pee. Well, on this particular day Caden was VERY testing my patience w his ala grass eating appetizers, Triston was soaked to the bone, and there was no place to lockdown a sopping wet Caden while I ran G in to pee. I did something I swore I would never do unless I was on some stranded road or longs away from a gas station on some road trip...I let G pee in the yard. I first made sure all he had to do was pee! Then I took him to the back fence and helped him aim toward the alley out the fence. Gotta say-I was impressed! This was officially his first time peeing standing up. He looked up at me and said, "Look, I peeing like daddy! Bye, pee! " I made sure T was distracted so he didnt get the idea this was something any of us were to do on a regular basis. I then showed G how to take buckets of water and "wash away the pee". He did this for almost 30 minutes, entertaining himself, telling the pee to "never ever come back".

Here he is showing daddy where he peed. Like he was proud of it!!! I told him to keep it a secret from daddy and as soon as Charito walks out of the garage Grayson blows our cover!

Fast forward to a week later...in the middle of a playdate w a total of 5 kids G had to go again. I walked him to the back fence. I helped him hold his penis and all of a sudden heard him grunt. I immediately got down to his level and shrieked "Are you going pee or poop?!" He says poop! I have never run that kid faster into the house before. And then we finally make it down to the basement and he doesnt even have to poop! Just pee! I swear! This kid makes me work for my non-existent paycheck! Good thing he's cute! It'll carry him for a few more years!

Say that again?

I regret to inform you that NOW Grayson is calling me MOM or MA. He is mimicking Triston and I cannot say I like it one bit.