Big Birthday Bubdate!!!

Our Bub is three today, and what a delight he is. He is active, curious, and freakishly strong, the sweetest big brother you ever saw (most of the time), a new but enthusiastic wearer of underwear (several pairs a day for the obvious reasons), and an all around good boy.

The Bub started school this year. Just two hours on two mornings a week, but Bub and Mommy are both enjoying the experience. I love that he gets an opportunity to miss me. Picking him from school makes my day. I watch him playing until he notices me, and then his whole face lights up. Most days, he screams "Mommy!! Mommy!" and runs to me. He sometimes will stand by one of his teachers and point to me and say, with pride, "That my Mommy." He loves his teachers; in fact, if anyone asks about school, the first thing he does is list his teachers' names. He has also learned the sign of the cross and a really sweet little prayer that they say before snack time. He got to lead a few prayers before meals over the holidays, and it was pretty darn cute, ntb. As I fear I will be doing for many years to come, I have to press him to get many specific details about school friends and activities, but I enjoy whatever information I can garner beyond "It was fun." The other day at home, I heard him say "five minute warning, guys," which is an expression I know his teachers use when free play time is almost over. The other day, I tried to pull a "three minute warning, Bub," and he let me know that I am not allowed to say that, only his teacher. Many school days he heads immediately to the train table, but I was the helper yesterday for his birthday and noticed that he mixed it up in the kitchen area and the painting table as well. I was amused that he totally avoided the play-doh table even though he would play play-doh all day every day at home if I did not periodically hide the stuff for my own sanity. He also really enjoys playing with the duplo blocks at school and has, on two occasions, suggested we take one pink duplo block home: "Just one pink one in my backpack."

Speaking of pink, he sometimes names it as his favorite color, but "onange," red, and blue are also answers, depending on the moment. He is not picky about what he wears, except that he is not fond of keeping socks on for very long and is very fond of his new snow boots. He is a bit of a picky eater; he eats his familiar foods no problem, but does not like to try new ones. His proteins are still all dip-able, though recently he has started enjoying grilled cheese sandwiches (though he dips those in ketchup--my fault, I do the same thing). He loves yogurt and yogurt smoothies, most fruits, and any kind of cracker, sweet, or chip that is offered to him. He loves breadsticks from Dominos. As of about two weeks ago, he has finally stopped eating stage 2 baby food peas and sweet potatoes, which had been long time staples in his diet. I think it is more than time, but I also need to start figuring out how to convince him to try vegetables not in mush-form. Inexplicably, except for one time, he will not even try macaroni and cheese. If only I had never tried it!

Bub loves "cookin," and I try to let him help me whenever I can. He does a lot of baking in the bath tub, usually apple pie: "I need the recipe, Mom." Prize-winning pie maker that I am (kidding, I've never made an apple pie), I tell him the steps, and he does all the peeling and mixing. Turns out great every time, ntb. Once when I was on the phone with my mom, I found that during the two minutes when I had assumed he was playing innocently in the back room, Bub had opened the fridge, taken out the egg carton, and cracked five eggs into the sink of his play kitchen: "I cookin." The only thing he consistently asked Santa for was a "Cupcake Maker," but that item deserves and will get its own post soon, complete with photos.

About a month ago, Bub started playing soccer (no games, just practicing skills and having fun, it's called Lil Kickers). He gets dressed up in his "unicorn," and he and Daddy head to the South side of town on Saturday mornings. He has just started swimming lessons as well and seems excited about them so far. Of course, his favorite part of visiting the YMCA is looking in at the daycare area and begging to go in.

Bub loves to sing and dance. Playing DJ with his little CD player is a favorite activity, though he tends to scratch his albums in a less-than-artistic way. He also finds many household items that he calls "flutes" and recently used two straws as his violin. Again, pretty cute, ntb. Bub also loves him a dance party and his favorite tunes for that purpose are "Footloose" and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" -- his titles for those songs are "Loose" and "Mommy's fave-rit."

We learn a lot from our Bub. In the past week, for example, we've learned that miniature snow globe Christmas ornaments will break (and draw blood) if you play with them too energetically and that rubbing alcohol will take ink off of leather furniture (though it slightly lightens the leather).

Mostly we learn that life is good, often messy and exhausting, but really pretty darn good.