Birthday Bash...

So I am dealing with shoddy internet and trying to catch up, so I wrote this on his birthday so forgive the wrong date...

James’ 3rd Birthday

Today was my son’s 3rd birthday. Throughout the day I felt all different kinds of emotions, like - I can’t believe I have a 3 year old, or I can’t believe how grown up he is. And then I would have emotions like - wow I feel like I have been doing this mother thing forever and he is ONLY 3, or I can’t believe he still is acting like a 2 year old right now...GROW UP. So like I said mixed emotions!

Anyway our day was overall really pretty great! In the morning we raced to town to try to get cupcakes and balloons...it turned out to be more stressful than I wanted, but maybe worth it, because when James saw the helium balloons - he was in heaven!

At around 11:30, we first had cupcakes with all the kids in the house and of course Claire and Thomas came over too! It was a pretty rockus chorus of “Happy Birthday” and James seemed to experience his first feeling of total self awareness while everyone watched him blow out his candle. Watch on the video and after the chorus he gets really serious not really knowing how to react. Needless to say...all the boys (and there were a lot - Thomas, Cade, Daniel, Richard, Ryan, and Matthew) all loved the cupcakes!

When Frandpa Daivd, Grandma Shell, Grandma Joan, and Aunt Jess came over we left to go to a pavilion that is close to a tennis court and a lake with paddle boats in it. The weather was perfect - overcast and windy with a little sun peeking through. We opened presents, ate subway sandwiches, dad and Frandpa played tennis, while Grandma Shell and Jess went paddle boating, and James, Grandma Joan, and I played with presents and gathered the fly away tennis balls! We ended with another chorus of “Happy Birthday” and some more cupcakes and a huge cookie we were ‘pooped’.

James seriously had a great birthday for being only 3 years old. He got books from Grandma and Grandpa Nelson and one from Grandma ‘B’. He got cool (dollar store) helicopter spinning toys, a small basketball and football, and a paddle ball from Frandpa David. He got a Lightening McQueen helmet and knee pads with a (hand me down) scooter from Jess. Clothes from Grandma Joan. AND the biggest surprise of all - a new tricycle from Grandma Shell! She bought it in Utah, took it all apart, packed it in a suitcase, brought it to Virginia, put it back together, and wrapped it in a big garbage bag. Only you mom would do something that crazy! James, of course, LOVED it!!

James, of course, did have a couple like 3 HUGE melt downs during the day. Maybe too much attention, maybe too much sugar, or maybe all play and no nap - but they happened. Two right after the first cupcake thing and one right before dinner. We were actually pretty impressed that during the actual “party,” there was no tantrums! He was 100% AWESOME! (which is all I really cared about)

For dinner we all went to BBQ. James kept telling everyone that it was his birthday and how he was 3. I think this birthday made a huge impression on him. The day ended with dad (Tyler) reading James (in his Buzz “LIKE” year P.J.s) his new birthday books! Thanks mom, dad, Jess and Grandma Joan for coming out to help celebrate with us! It was so fun and something that James is really going to remember (at least for a while!).