funny boy.

What do I love about my little guy being three years old? The fact that we can hold real conversations! Occasionally I'm not able to interpret his 'toddlerese', but more often than not I come through.  While sometimes what Nate says doesn't quite make sense, a lot of the time conversations with him are hilarious:

[getting into the car after daycare]
Nate: Oh no! My pack pack! My pack pack!
Me: What is a pack pack?
Nate: My 'wed pack pack!
Me: Ohh! Your red backpack! It's right here.
Nate: Whew, that was close! I much, much, much, MUCH better now!

[talking to the baby fish in his aquarium]
Nate: I so proud of you. You getting so big!

[while playing by himself in his room]
Nate: I so sleepy, I need a nap.....HAHAHAHAH! Just kidding!

And while we're talking about being funny and downright silliness, these seemed more than appropriate :)

birthday central.

We have gone to a lot of birthday parties this summer and I love it! First of all, I love that Nate has friends and is old enough to help them celebrate their big days (and that they could help him celebrate his birthday, too!). Secondly, birthday parties always mean lots of physical activity that helps to wear my little energizer bunny out. I love when nap time comes easily. I also love that I'm growing my circle of friends who have kids. It's great to commiserate share with one another.

Last weekend we went to the birthday party for one of my friends and co-workers. I've always felt a special bond with this friend, since we went through the wonders (and not-so-wonders) of pregnancy together and our kiddos were born two weeks apart.  Our kids have also been especially sweet with one another during our play dates. So precious.  I make it a point to not post photos of other people's kids on here, so you'll just to have to take my word for it :)

So we went to an awesome playground called FantasyLand in Front Royal last weekend and helped to celebrate this little girl's third birthday. This was probably the best playground that I've ever been to!

There was a rock wall, which Nate did end up climbing, but this one was too cute not to post.

Chris got into the climbing action with Nate and they climbed this little contraption together. My kiddo terrifies me on a regular basis. I have enough fear for the both of us, apparently, since nothing scares him. Not even being about 7 feet off of the ground!

This park also had some pretty neat features, as it is equipped for children with special needs. Here, Nate is sitting in front of a little wall that goes through all of the American Sign Language signs for the letters of the alphabet. Very neat!

There was also this little bucket to sit in that was like a manual tilt-a-whirl. Once hubby got inside, I was overzealous and kept spinning him long after I should have stopped -- but hey, what a good sport! :)

The one photo of me from the day. Trying to tear Nate away from the playground for food, even for one of his favorite foods (pizza), was tough. We tried to make a game of it and started a tickle fight but, in the end, he won because he didn't eat anything but cupcakes.

The other side of this enormous playground was made out of wood and was like a gigantic maze for me to try to follow this little man around for photos. Persistence paid off, though, because this shot is just too cute. The 'happy' sign could not be more appropriate.

And at one point someone was chasing Nate around the playground. These eyes have so much mischief in them. He had so much fun!

After the party ended, we made a quick stop at The Apple House, which has always been rumored to have the most amazing donuts. I am not a donut person and I can honestly say that these were just amazing! I also picked up a bottle of wine from The Peaks of Otter Winery, which is from a winery close to our relatives in Roanoke.  I've never been to the actual winery, but I've gone to one of their tastings before and it was great. A touch of 'home' and fruity wine makes for a nice combination. This was definitely worth the stop!!

We also saw these little cut outs on our way back to the car and really, who can resist these?! We took a few and I made my way into a few more photos for the day! :)

puppyface.

Nate has gotten into a lot of pretend play lately. It's so cute to watch and listen to him develop little characters and stories. Usually his toys do the talking, but lately Nathan has decided that pretending to be a puppy is the best thing in the world. Interestingly enough, when Nate the boy won't listen, Nate the puppy will. I have used this to my advantage several times and I'm not ashamed to admit it :)

Our neighbor came across an old costume that doesn't fit her son anymore, so she sent it my way. I don't know who had more fun: Nathan acting like a puppy or me documenting it with photos. Either way, isn't this adorable?

I bought him a play doctor's kit today, so hopefully there will be more human pretend play photos coming shortly!

finding balance.

I write the title of this post as more of a goal to aspire to rather than an indication that this will help you find balance in your own life. I'm happy to lead you down my chaotic little road, just be prepared! This was semi-inspired by a hilarious article that I read likening life with a toddler to living in prison, with perks.

So life lately--I've saved all of these pictures to make different posts, but time is getting away from me. That being said, we're going to approach this little post hodge podge, 7 takes style (because blogging like this is popular right now, who knew?! It gives me structure though, so I'll take it)

--1--

Monday came in swinging this week: Chris may or may not have the flu, our internet started acting up rather badly (this is a big thing for me, since I work from home 4 days of the week), and it's past midnight and I am not sleepy at all. On the plus side, Chris is recuperating in our room and I got Nate to fall asleep in his own bed (HURRAY!), the internet seems to be behaving itself much better, and I can finally have a few minutes of "me" time...even if it is incoherently typing. 

Moral of the story: Mondays are tough, but manageable. It's all about perspective. Instead of focusing on the fact that my three year-old was never going to bed, we did an "Old McDonald" karaoke session and he fell asleep shortly afterwards :)

--2--

I am ever so thankful that it will be a long time before my son is able to drive. While this picture is precious, it is sadly deceiving. Nathan's favorite things: wheelies in reverse, slamming into curbs at full speed, and abandoning his vehicle in pursuit of other things ... like rocks or dandelions. 

--3--

We love our daycare. Not only do I feel that Nathan is in a loving, nurturing environment, but they also offer occasional activities for the kids to take part of on the weekends. A few weekends ago we attended 'Discovery Day' where Nathan was able to watch a little animal show, dunk his teachers in a dunk tank, bounce in a moonbounce with his friends, play to his heart's content, and of course -- eat popcorn! 

One of the classroom set ups was pirate themed, so we took advantage of the little backdrop they made. Ahoy mateys! 

--4--

And as crazy as this summer has shaped up to be, the many activities have given way to moments of calm or even moments where we're just too exhausted to do anything else.  For Nathan, being calm always involves water to some extent. Playing in his water table is soothing for him because it is his quietest type of play and soothing for me that the decibel level goes down for a bit  :)

--5--

Nathan's sense of humor is in development and I can see aspects of Chris's wild shenanigans, as well as some of my more dry, quick-witted humor. There are definitely days where Nate walking around with a toilet lid is perfectly hilarious to him (okay, and me too)

Or when he sneaks outside during my one alone moment in the restroom with an entire cookie jar in tow. Yes, this little one keeps me on my toes the same way his daddy does :)

But Nate is learning to use his words, in addition to his little sneak attacks: 

[from tonight]

Nathan: Mommy, I tooted! 

Me: And what do you say? [aiming for an 'excuse me']

Nathan: I like being myself.

[from last week]

Me: Nathan, where are your shoes? 

Nathan: I don't know. Google it.

--6--

Sweet moments. When Nathan initiates an "I Love You", a kiss/hug/high five concoction that he's created, or tells us that he wants to be with us, it makes my heart melt. I have such a sweet boy and I hope that doesn't change too much as he gets older! 

--7--

Life as a superhero is hard work, but at least it comes with cool costumes, right? Nate got this awesome cape from his aunt, uncle, and cousin and wears it all the time, whether or not it's appropriate (see below) 

build & grow.

In an attempt to be more spending savvy, I've been looking for fun things to do with Nathan that are also free. A friend told me about these great Build & Grow Clinics at Lowe's and we took Nathan last weekend. Such a great idea and it was so adorable to watch! That's right, I said watch! I can't put things together to save my life. I can take cute pictures, though :)

The project for last weekend was for an airplane from Disney's new movie Planes. I think this was 'Dusty' but I'm not 100% sure. In any case, Lowe's gives each child an apron and goggles for their first clinic. Isn't this precious?

Nate and Chris spent about half an hour building together. While it was a challenge to keep Nate from grabbing all of the pieces to "help" Chris, it was great for him to see how to put something together. Once Nate finally understood that it was going to be an airplane, he was very motivated to get the project done. My goal: have two people who can do all of the DIY home repair :)

And what did it look like when it was all done? Here you go! One very proud little boy and one cute little airplane!

Oh and one happy mom and dad who shelled out nothing, entertained a three year-old for a solid hour, and got a neat little learning experience. I highly recommend you taking your kids to these clinics! I hear that Home Depot has workshops, too!

fifth anniversary.

Chris and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary this week! In five short years, our lives have changed so much and I can't wait to see what happens in the next five! 

According to Hallmark, the traditional fifth year gift is wood and the modern is silverware. We're good on those, but we will willingly take Starbucks gift cards, nights of babysitting, and cold hard cash ;)

Don't we look so young here?! (also, more wedding photos in the collage from our fourth anniversary)

Fast forward five years and we are a bit older, hopefully a bit wiser, and much more content in our lives. A huge thank you to my parents who watched Nate so that we could go out to dinner at a place that doesn't have kids menus and crayons!

Not to mention this little superhero in our lives! What an enormous splash this one has made!

Happy Anniversary to my honey! You're stuck with me and I'm glad you still think that's the best decision ever. I think it was my best decision, too :)

potty training, vol. 4.

General Disclaimer: Given the topic of this post, skip it if you don't want to read something gross. We're talking about a toddler and the potty. 

We are currently on week 8 of potty training. What a difference two months makes! During the day, Nathan is completely fine. I love knowing that we can go run errands and not have to worry about bringing diapers along (although, I do keep an aptly named go bag in the car with extra shorts, underwear, and wipes). Night time, however, is not nearly mastered yet. After a few nights of soaking through the standard pull-ups, we bought the night-time version (definitely recommend those!). I'm hoping that this comes with time, problem is that Nathan wants to

Also, the Elmo potty has 'disappeared'. As you might remember, Nate enjoyed the act of transferring his final product to the big potty, so we are done with that!

Parenting Reflection: Our bathroom has never been both so filthy and so clean, depending on when you go in there. Nathan is very big into his privacy right now ("Mommy, go hide!"), so occasionally most of the time there is a horrific mess before I go back in. We've gone through a ton of bleach and disinfectant, as well as hand soap. 

For more of our adventures in potty training check out volume 1, volume 2, & volume 3!

third birthday party.

We had Nate's third birthday party yesterday and had an amazing time. Honestly, I can't think of one thing that I would have done differently. That in itself is a little miracle :)

Ever feel like you are constantly trying to out-do yourself? In looking back over Nate's previous birthday parties:

First Birthday: at our house, low-key but with a TON of people (mostly family and mostly adults)

Second Birthday: at our house again, but with a moon bounce and pizza (family, friends, and kids)

Third Birthday: We went all out! We rented out a local inflatable bounce place, House of Bounce (HOB), invited two different classes from Nate's school, had pizza and cake. Want to hear the shocker? We spent less money this year than last year! So, while it may appear that we went overboard, it was really cheaper by quite a bit.

First of all, I cannot say how impressed I was with HOB. They took care of everything from the invitations, to coordinating with the bakery, to managing every last detail on the day of the party. It was so awesome to be able to enjoy Nate's party without having to worry about all of the behind the scenes work! They certainly knew how to make my little guy feel special; from a personalized parking space (okay, maybe I was the one that loved that the most), to having everyone scream happy birthday for Nate over and over, to having multiple thrones for him to sit on, Nate definitely knew that he was in the spotlight ... and loved it!

And like I said before, the fact that Chris and I got to spend the whole party playing with Nate,  watching him play with his friends, and talking with the other adults there was just awesome. Don't we look relaxed for being in a room with nearly 20 toddlers? :)

Plus, how cute is this kid?! Every time I think that it's impossible to love him more, he gets me again...love it!

After bouncing, the kids went into the party room and devoured pizza, but of course saved room for cake and ice cream! The cake was delicious, egg-free (to accommodate some of our guests) and was from a great bakery in Sterling. How adorable is this? (Batman themed, of course!)

Nate was very intense about blowing out the candles. It's not really visible in the collage below but, in the original high-resolution photo, Nate is spitting/drooling everywhere in the bottom image. Yum!

And did you know that kid-birthday parties now, they don't open the presents? What an amazingly awesome idea! I hated sitting through 30+ minutes of watching some kid open up a mound of presents at every single birthday party I went to. While you want to know if the birthday boy or girl likes your gift, it also drags out the party time. Now they load everything into your car for you (how's that for customer service?) and you open them at home. Freakin' genius!

One of Nate's absolute favorite presents this year was from my brother and sister-in-law and little nephew. Two years running now that they've given Nate the 'favorite' birthday toy. No pressure for next year, guys :)  Given that Nate is all about superheroes right now, this cape that can be personalized is as adorable as it is going to be well-loved and used.

Once Nate finally made it through all of his presents, we got him to take a shot with all of his loot. Where are we going to put all of this stuff?!  Boy if that smile isn't the most adorable thing ever, though. (And yes, we had a 'costume change' but into another superhero shirt, of course!)

And that's how you do it folks, have an awesome party, enjoy it and pay less money. Find an awesome place like we did and let them take care of all of the details! See...all in one piece at the end of the night!

Last, but certainly not least, Nathan never took a nap on the day of his party. We bounced, we played at our house with his cousin, he ran around outside, and finally he sat down at fell asleep at 7:30 p.m.!!!!! And all the angels rejoiced! (I am dead serious -- I don't think he has ever gone to bed that early before!)

i'm three.

My little munchkin is officially three years old! While the day-to-day happenings don't seem to go by too quickly, looking back at the last three years I can see where time is just flying by. I did a birth and year-to-year comparison...goodness how this baby has grown into a little boy!

I sent cupcakes in with Nate to school on Thursday this week to celebrate with his friends, since I was going to keep him home on Friday. Nate, excited about his birthday, got up in the middle of nap time to sing himself "Happy Birthday". He also had a "terrible-three" moment when his friends did not finish their cupcakes and he wasn't allowed to eat the leftovers. The concept of germs does not yet compute, lol.

I've made it a little tradition that I take the day off from work and spend the time with my little man. Last year on his second birthday, we made a whole day of going bouncing, eating cake, and spending time with family because we celebrated his actual second birthday party several weeks later.

This year I still took the day off to spend with my little man, but we kept it a little more low-key since his party is tomorrow morning (this morning? posting after midnight....again). When Nate woke me up this morning, the first thing that he did was give me a kiss and said "I love you, Mommy". Talk about melting your heart first thing! We spent the morning cuddling on the couch and watching The Little Mermaid, had lunch at Panera ("I want da noodles, Mommy. And yogurt....but mostly noodles!), found a Justice League t-shirt to match his party theme, took a Mommy-Nate nap (oh how I miss taking naps!), and then Chris came home from work.

Chris took Nate to the pet store to return a fish who didn't make it and came back with four more (not sure what these are). While they did that, I ran some errands that are not Nate-friendly - like getting my eyebrows waxed. That could have a scary outcome :)  Nate also got to see all of his grandparents today, either via Skype or in person which is so sweet.

Once I got home and mowed the grass (which I have obsessed about this summer), we did a little cake for Nathan and sang him "Happy Birthday". Nothing makes this child happier than cake or ice cream. If it has sugar, he's there. This also was the first year that he blew out his own candle -- can you spot the photo where he just blew it out? There was a lot of determination that went into that huff and puff!

I can't wait for his party tomorrow! I love that he has little friends to invite this year and I'm really looking forward to watching them play. Everyone else is fast asleep and I've been making lists about things to remember, pre-loading the car, and folding laundry. A mom's work is never done :)

29.

There, I said it ... last year of my twenties! I was feeling really good about turning 29, until it happened. Now I'm thinking about what kind of thinks are in store for me next and counting my (many) gray hairs.

As birthdays go, I've been a very lucky girl. I have been begging, yes begging, every time that I cut the yard, for a weed whacker. Guess what...my parents got me one! I'm sure the people in the Home Depot parking lot thought I was crazy :)

My husband is also amazing and bought me an outdoor speaker system for our deck! Also, kudos to him for installing it by himself! Can't wait to use it! Of course, given that my gifts are outdoor themed, it's rained both days since my birthday :) I tried to do a panoramic photo on my phone of the speaker system -- it somewhat worked. They sound amazing!

We also went to dinner at Olive Garden, which was so delicious. We rarely go out to eat anymore, so it definitely was a treat. Here are some pictures from our evening -- some more hilarious than others:

Totally unrelated: we lost our first fish. But did you know that Petsmart offers a 2 week guarantee for fish? Catch is that you have to bring in the dead one ... so there is a dead fish, in a ziploc bag in my refrigerator. I'm trying really hard not to think about it, but just thought I would share.