James turns 3 (and I'm sad)

"Mom, will you help me put my turds back in the box?"

Sunday James turned 3! No longer a baby, no longer a toddler really. I don't have 3 kids and a baby. I have 4 kids. The kids. Let's take the kids here. What should we buy the kids for Christmas? Are the kids ready to go? All kids. No babies around here anymore.

Saturday morning (after he threw up randomly and then was perfectly fine) we loaded up the kids to get doughnuts and explore a new (to us) park in Orem. That park was closed for fall clean-up so we went to a different park. My kids were a little bummed but the second park was cool and new so it was fine. Plus doughnuts.

Then Justin and I did yard work all afternoon.

Sunday morning! Birthday time! Erica helped me wrap his presents which really means put his gifts in giftbags because it's fast and not wasteful and the kids love seeing their favorite bags year after year. I even stopped using tissue paper because they get to open them moments after they come down so there's no reason to keep them hidden. And then we fold up the bags and they go right back under my bed. Minimalism, kids.

While Erica did the presents, Sarah and Henry did the streamers. This is the 27th birthday of my kids (45 to go) and I already know how to do it so someone else can share in the fun of decorating.

They did all this after James was in bed Saturday night. The moment they started arguing, they'd be done and go straight to bed. They didn't fight and did a great job and loved it. Henry even thanked me before going to bed.

When I went in to get James that morning, he didn't remember it was his birthday and I didn't say anything. I ran down and told the kids in the basement that he didn't know it was his birthday and to go in the kitchen and wait for us to enthusiastically (but not scare him) shout happy birthday when I brought him down.

The other kids hid behind the table and when we walked in they shouted "Happy birthday" and James said "Who's bir---It's my birthday today!" It was sooooo cute. Throughout the day if you said, "Happy birthday, James" he'd reply back "Happy birthday."

While Justin got started on his waffle breakfast, James opened his presents. Swiss cake rolls.

A pillowcase from the fabric he picked out and then forgot so it was a surprise after all.

A book I wrote him.

Squeezits.

"Tabby McTat the Musical Cat" by Julia Donaldson

And a squishmallow

It was shoved in the bag pretty good so all the kids had to help get it out.

It's a hedgehog and he doesn't know what a hedgehog is but it had the cutest face so that's what I bought. (walgreens.com has the best selection). He named him Pudgy.

He was the last to get one so all the kids ran to get theirs and have a party.

L-R Owlie, Koalie, Squishy, and Pudgy.  James is by far the most creative namer.

The gathering quickly turned into a squishy fight.

Which quickly caused tears.

He also got a Lego monstertruck which combines his two passions. He has taken it everywhere for the past 4 days. He's always knocking pieces off. We had to go back down the hall at the orthodontist twice to retrieve stuff. It's awesome.

Isn't he so cute?

He's my bud. We go everywhere together.

For a long time he wanted a racecar cake until we were looking at ideas on pinterest and he saw a snowmobile cake. I love 7 minute frosting and Walmart had these cute trees so I pushed him in that direction.

Snowy yummy mountain.

Justin is going to be a cookbook model when he grows up.

Then I called James in so he could put the snowmobiles on. I had big aspirations of snowmobile positioning but James would not hear it.

It's his birthday so whatever.

Then all his grandparents and uncle Dallin came over for his party.

Then presents! He got cards and money from my mom and his great-grandma Kendall. And fruitsnacks and these "superhero cars" from Justin's mom.

"There's Batman and Hulk....."

".....Captain America, Ironman and Supergirl!"

Back to his cake for one more second. The cake is my Grandma Syme's chocolate cake recipe and the frosting is from one of my Grandma Baadsgaard's cookbooks. We had this combo all growing up but I never knew it was a delicious blending of my genealogy. Now I'm even more sentimental about it all.

At the end of the party, I pulled out my kitchen torch and toasted some of the frosting. Holy moly this was amazing. I may bring my kitchen torch to my mom's and sister's and anywhere else I may be eating this cake so I can toast my slice. And you better believe I'll offer to toast anyone else's.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of James along with some of my favorite things about him.

Justin grilled a tri-tip roast and James joked that "this is a tri-tip" and leaned way over on one foot nearly tipping over. (Get it? I swear he's a genius.)

His favorite song is "Don't you laugh when the hearse goes by" and the creepier I sing it while I rock him the better.

He tells me all the time that he's my baby. He's pretty snuggly.

He's potty-trained but in weird way. He doesn't have accidents hardly ever but he also hates to stop what he's doing to go the bathroom. When I can see he needs to go (he's great at holding it) and I can't convince him to go--- more often than not I have to drag him to the bathroom, pull down his pants and stand him up to the toilet and stand behind him so he won't run away. Then he'll go. Who's trained who?

Here's some funny things he's said this year.

~February~
Me: It's snowy outside.
James: It's not snowy. It's crunchy.

"I can make dinner."

James: {Pulling up his shirt} Where's my boat?
Me: Do you mean bellybutton?
James: Yeah

James was really tired one night and hitting Erica so Erica got his blanket for him to calm him down (she's the sweetest). Then Erica asked, "Do you feel better now, James?
James said, "No! I still want to hit you!"

~March~
"Monsters are real. Blankie is not real. This door is not real."

~April~
James: Bad guys can talk.
Me: What do you they say?
James: {growly voice} I'm going to steal the baby.

{Getting jackets on to leave the house}
James: Are we gonna go to the gravy-yard?
Me: {trying really hard not to laugh} What would we do there?
James: Find monsters. (Can you see an obsession here?)

He also started swinging his blankie to knock stuff down so he can reach them, just like Linus.

~September~
James: Do you like motorcycles or clowns?
Me: Motorcycles.
James: No, that doesn't make sense. You like clowns.

And here's his birthday interview sheet.