Celebrating Marshall's 3rd

So, Marshall turned 3 on the 3rd. I still can't wrap my mind around how it's possible that he's that old already... but it also seems like it's been much longer than that that he's been here. I'll probably say the same thing every year. For his actual birthday we had a low-key celebration at home.

Jerad reading him a new bedtime story from Grammy.

We talked about how when he woke up in the morning he'd be three years old and we'd have a special breakfast and presents. This is the first year that he really "got it" and it was exciting:) The week before I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he told me "nothing." So I said "you don't want any toys? should I just get you a tomato?" He thought about it and said "Miller can have a tomato and I'll have some strawberries." I reiterated "you don't want some TOYS?!?" and he told me "no, I have lots of toys already, just some strawberries." I asked if we should make a big cake and again, he insisted on just strawberries.

Truthfully he does have a ton of toys, and strawberries are in season right now and very delicious so I kind of get it. However, I did decide to get him a few toys too. 

Everything wrapped up after he went to bed

We decided that 3 presents for a 3rd birthday was a good amount. I had also ordered a sand and water table for the kids that was supposed to arrive the week before but it got delayed.

We decided to save it for his birthday as a "sharing" present as well.

He also got a Robot Sticker Book:

T-ball set:

And excavator:

The t-ball set was kind of last minute. We'd been planning on getting him a crane truck. Then one night before bed he asked Jerad if he wanted to play basketball... which was totally off the wall because we are not a sports family. AT ALL. So Jerad said "sure, how do we play?" Marshall got the "basketball" which was a foam bowling ball, then told Jerad he needed to go find a "hitter." We had no idea what that was, apparently it's a child sized mop. Then Marshall explained how you play to Jerad. You take the "hitter" (mop) and scoot the "basketball" (foam bowling ball) across the floor. Needless to say we realized he was a tad too sheltered from sports up to this point and thought that a t-ball set would be a good start and something the boys could probably enjoy together:)

The Excavator was going to be the big gift because he really wanted one with tracks, as opposed to the smaller wheeled one he had already.

He woke up around 5:30 or 6 and came running in our room excitedly saying he was ready to be three and open presents. So we did!

Marshall was VERY excited about the Excavator. I love love love Bruder brand toys. They hold up extremely well, can actually be played with in the dirt, and you can buy replacement parts instead of just scrapping the whole thing if a bucket breaks etc.

After presents we had breakfast, gluten free pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. I had been planning on putting candles in the pancake stack but apparently we didn't have any. I russled up 3 tealights.

He thought that was amazing and had us re-light them and sing proabably 10 times before Jerad had to leave for work.

The second breakfast was over they wanted to go outside. We're in the middle of a huge backyard overhaul so there is LOTS of dirt. Perfect for tractoring!

Later we played with his new sticker book while Miller napped. Apparently 3 year old's don't need to nap.

Once Miller woke up, I loaded them up and took them to Avila Beach. It was over 100 at home so it was a nice break. I don't have many pictures because it's hard wrangling both kids in the water by my big ol' pregnant myself.

Miller was upset because he wanted to float away in the current and I kept pulling him back to shore.

They both had a ton of fun and didn't want to leave. On the way back we got stuck in traffic from an accident and what should have been a 45 minute trip turned into 2.5 hours. Not fun. Surprisingly, both kids were in great moods the whole time.

When we got home, they quickly ate then went back outside. Daddy came home with one more birthday surprise:

An excavator!!! We had more tractor work to do and the kids LOVE riding on it. However, Marshall was so in love with his new toy, that he didn't even take Jerad up on his offer to help drive.

Unfortunately Jerad had to work the next morning for a little bit, so we played outside some more while we waited for him to come home.

Miller was so tired he couldn't even climb the 10 inches or so into his toddler bed when it was time to take a nap. Silly goose.

Once again Marshall would NOT nap. He's okay skipping a nap every now and then, but not two days in a row... especially fun filled action packed days. By 4:30 this is what he looked like:

The TV isn't on or anything. He's just laying on the couch staring out into space. Shortly after he fell asleep and wouldn't wake up for anything.

His normal bedtime is 7:30 so a 4:30 nap is pretty much out of the question. Miller poked him repeatedly, I asked him if he wanted to go drive the tractor, told him dinner was on the table... he just rolled over and ignored me.

At 7:30 I posted a call for help on facebook:

I seriously didn't know what to do. I'd been having HORIBLE pregnancy insomnia, Miller was getting molars and fighting a cold and waking frequently, and I thought if Marshall woke up in the middle of the night... or up for the day at 4am I'd literally have a mental breakdown. My friend Beth told me to just carry him to bed, if he woke up while I was to offer him something to eat, then point out that it's dark outside and time for bed and that he probably just needed some extra sleep and was fighting the same cold as Miller. So I did, he didn't wake up, and slept till almost 7:30 the next morning. Miller also FINALLY slept through the night again and I went to bed at 8:30pm to the sound of the tractor working away in the backyard. Heaven.

Sunday was spent moving dirt with big and little tractors, shovels, and wheelbarrows.

After dinner Marshall and I made some homemade "ice cream" with almond milk, frozen strawberries, and a squirt of honey. He loves it. Jerad tried feeding some to Miller for the first time.

He was not a fan.

Then Jerad put the kids back on the tractor while he was moving dirt from one end of the yard to the other and slowly lulled them to sleep. Its like a magic trick.

When I got up for work the next morning at 5:30, Jerad wasn't in bed. I thought maybe he fell asleep downstairs working on the computer, but I found him on Miller's floor. I guess Miller had a rough night and that was the only way he could get him to go to sleep. I slept through the whole ordeal:)

So, that was how we spend Marshall's birthday weekend. The next weekend we packed up the kids for a 3 day mini-vacation to Gilroy Gardens and Happy Hollows! Pics to come.