{ Scott Turns 3 }

We have had a bit of birthday fever around this place the last month or so. This is our fourth birthday to celebrate, and Scott made it so much fun! He has been so excited to have his birthday. He has really gotten into trucks the last six months or so..building a house will do that to ya. Everywhere we would go, he would point out trucks. I would get excited with him, and say something like, “Yeah, that’s a great truck.” He would promptly correct me that it was a dump truck, or a cement truck, or a scooper truck. I was amazed at how many dump trucks could be spotted in a single outing to Hobby Lobby or Target.

Since he was so into trucks, his present was an easy pick. He wanted a BIG truck. He has been playing with a big plastic dump truck that used to be Austin’s from years ago, but he wanted another big truck. That and underwear. Before we moved back in October he decided that he wanted to be potty trained. I was not so ready myself. I grudgingly agreed, but must admit I gladly give in if he decides he wants to wear a diaper that day. (potty training is my least favorite things to do). He was excited to have big boy underwear and I mentioned maybe there is underwear with trucks on it. That did it, he was absolutely sure what he wanted for his birthday-A big truck, and dump truck underwear. It gave me a chance to get him super excited about wearing underwear, and bought me a few extra weeks to get used to the idea of having to potty train again.

As we went out looking for birthday presents for Ryan and Erika, we would stroll down the truck aisle and he would get so excited about all his truck options. He would beg me to buy him one, and I would remind him that his birthday is coming up soon. “Yes, it’s tomorrow!” he would say. He helped me pick out his wrapping paper at the store a month in advance, reminded me daily of his requests, and would stare longingly at his trucks every time we went to the store.

We have started a little tradition of sorts, that when the kids are littler they get the same number of presents as how ever old they are turning. I am not exactly sure how it started, but it’s a fun little thing we do now.  He got his two presents he was SURE about, and then his birthday book. This year he got the book Smooch your Pooch. It’s a super cute book, and since he loves to play doggies with Erika we knew he would love it.

 

As I started taking pictures with Scott, he was suddenly so easy to photograph. He turned three and he had instantly grown out of his not-wanting-his-picture-taken phase. I LOVE it! It was so fun to take picture after picture of him and have him give me his cute smiles and look at the camera. He has this thing with never looking at the camera. I was so happy he let me capture his cute smile. It was his own little present to me.

There were other pictures of him with his birthday book, but I love this one because his hands are in his pockets. It’s another Scotty thing he does sometimes-he walks around with his hands in his pockets. He looks so grown up when he does it. He is also really into wearing pants that do have pockets-totally something Austin would do ALL the time. They need room to put all their little treasures they find during the day. I have a jar on top of my washer specifically for “Lost Treasures” that have found their way into the wash-the majority of the things belonging to my boys.

A truck birthday is hardly complete without a truck cake. He was almost as excited about this as anything. I let him hold the pack of small trucks all day until it was time to put them on the cake. He carefully showed me exactly where to place them and told me what each truck did. He helped scoop the crushed Oreos in place, and then would keep checking on it for the rest of the night until it was time to blow out the candles.

 

Scott waited all day, just watching his wrapped presents sit on the island counter. Our day went something like this:

Breakfast-Can I open my presents yet? No daddy, and all the kids want to watch you. Well, I will show them when they get home.

Lunch-Can I open my presents yet? No, not yet. After naptime everyone will be getting home.

After naptime-Can I open my presents yet? No, not yet. Everyone isn’t home. Quiet peaking at the  presents while standing on his stool at the edge of the island.

Bus unloads-Can I open my presents yet, everyone’s home! No, not yet, daddy’s not home. ARGGH!

Daddy walks in-Can I open my presents yet? No, not yet, we need to have dinner first.

During dinner (his choice-mini homemade cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries)-Can I open my presents yet? Eat your food first.

After dinner clean up-Can I open my presents yet? Almost. Help me with the cake.

Can I open my presents yet?! YES!!

He waited so patiently, I couldn’t believe it. He climbed up on the island, sometime between Aaron getting home and dinner, and made a little hole in the top of his truck present. He was trying to feel what was in it, and then squealed, “It’s a big truck!!”. We looked over to see him peaking in the top of it trying to get a better look.

Finally, the time came, and he got to open him big truck. After that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of it.

 

 

Having to have any present follow that, would be a let down, and for most kids especially underwear. But for Scott, it was just icing on the cake. He was thrilled to get Cars underwear-it was the closest we could find to trucks. The fact that it could be loaded in his new truck-fun for the rest of the night.

He kept his “stuff” next to him the rest of the night-even while blowing out his candles and eating cake. He made sure that I washed off his little trucks so he could add them to his other things, then he happily gave his little trucks a ride in his big truck’s scoop.

Happy Birthday Scott! We love you so much!