Team Graff: Wally is 3 Years Old!!

Our baby boy is now 3! If you ask him, he is a big kid. To me, he is still my baby. Everyday, things he does remind me that he is a big kid though.

We just finished up quite a week of celebration. Wally's birthday started out with a little party at school. One of the parents brought helium balloons for all the kids (the kids had a great time, but they also caused a fair amount of fighting because they all wanted the same colors at the same time). Wally's friend Sander also gave Wally a present...a picture of the 2 boys. Wally was so excited that he gave Sander a big hug. It was so cute. Wally has it on his dresser in his room now. Wally and I made cupcakes the day before. Wally picked the colors for the frosting, green and pink. It was sure cute when all the kids were singing.

The matches I brought to light the candle didn't light, so Wally did "just pretend" for blowing out the candle. Pretty realistic though.

After school, went to Joel's work for a pizza party. It was actually a going away party for a couple students, but to Wally, it was another birthday party. Joel came home early, so Wally got to open his presents before dinner. Everyone was right on with their gifts... Mickey Mouse, Cubs, puzzles, games, books, and construction trucks.

We got Wally a train set for his birthday. He loves playing with the trains at school and the library, so we decided to splurge and get him his own. Now that we kennel the dogs when we leave, he can set up his train set upstairs in the living room and leave it out when we leave. I enjoy that he can play trains while I am cooking. He still wants us to play with him all the time though.

He is saying, "choo choo!" Its fun listening in to him playing. He talks to the trains and makes up stories, and who knows what else. He's developing quite the imagination.

He also enjoys the box the train came in. I was impressed that he actually fit!

Gramma Kathy gave him a US map puzzle. We've put it together several times. He's learned that we live in the purple piece, Grandma Mary and Papa Randy live in the yellow one, and everyone else lives in the pink piece! Not sure he really understands though, because he asks us which one Sander lives in. He's quite good at posing for pictures these days!

Wally has really been into constructions trucks lately. He also really liked Papa's scoop. So, when I started asking him what kind of birthday cake he wanted, he logically said, "scoop cake." I asked him several times hoping to get away from the scoop cake because I didn't know how to do it. But, he never forgot or changed his mind. I got online and Goggled "scoop cake." Lots of pictures popped up. I stole some ideas, and made up some of my own stuff, and came up with this...

The scoop was made from loaf pans, donuts, pretzels for the scoop arms, and a hollowed out Twinkie for the scoop. I have to say I was quite pleased with how it turned out...

There were even worms crawling out of the dirt. It passed the Wally test.

We had 3 of Wally's friends come over for a birthday party (2 from school and 1 from Joel's work). The four kids had a great time. First water fun, then pizza, cake, presents, and a pinata as a final surprise. There was of course some fighting because they were 2-3 years old, but all in all, it was a great time for everyone. I was apparently a fun target for the squirt guns!

Joel got a picture of all 4 kids looking before we did cake by saying, "who can say cheese the loudest?" I was surprised we didn't get complaints from the neighbors!

The singing wasn't the best, but the kids enjoyed the singing and Wally did a good job blowing out the candles (for real).

Cute kid!

Wally had to give hugs to everyone after opening presents...even to the dads he had never met. What a polite kid. I think I will keep him!

The pinata was a pull pinata. Pull the strings, and eventualy it opens, as opposed to having kids swing bats. I thought this was definitely going to cause fights, but there must have been enough candy, because there were only smiles. We will do this again!