He's Three...and Other Adjectives :)

I've forgotten how I've done these birthday posts in the past, so I looked back in the older blog books to refresh my memory.  Birthday milestones are a lot easier to think of when you're talking the first couple birthdays I think.  When I was checking out Landon's third birthday post, I didn't really list too many milestones.  Although, my brain was pretty much fried at that point.  Grant was brand new, and Landon had just finished chemo.  Thankfully we've got nothing going on that even compares to life three years ago.  The only thing Landon and Grant's third birthdays have in common is that they were both on Sundays.  Hallelujah and thank you God for that!  (seriously....thank you God.)

On Grant's birthday, he woke up to balloons covering his bedroom floor, and had the best time throwing them all down over the landing of the cat walk. After breakfast muffins, we went to Sunday School (where Mommy worked in the 4s room so there were no birthday tears, score!) And when we came home the boys opened their presents from Cousin Jack.  Wreck It Ralph Hands!  They were a big hit....get it?  Big hit?  ;)

The rest of the day was pretty normal I guess.  We were going to treat Grant to dinner out, but he wanted left over pizza, so that made it easy!

So instead of doing a traditional list of his favorite things as of his third birthday, I thought I'd do a list of adjectives that describe Grant...just to mix it up.  Here we go...

Grant is THREE and...

*tough.  We can contribute this to being the second child probably.  He LOVES to wrestle with Daddy and Landon, and is one of those kids that could run smack into a wall, get up, shake it off and go on without a peep.  Just a few weeks ago he came home from the sitters with the largest rug burn (we decided) known to man....I mean the thing covered his entire back.  He didn't make a peep when it happened.  Poor Lindsay was near tears, but Grant couldn't have cared less....that is until he had to take a bath.

*snuggly...when he's tired.  He especially likes to snuggle his green blanket....which he needs at nap time and bed time.  He's rubbed the dots off the white satin ribbons.  And since Christmas he's been dragging around a new friend, a chenille Snoopy Dog that Mom and Dad bought him.  I love how he calls him Snoopy Dawg.  He also is STILL using his taggie with his binky...the thing is down to barely a nub but he still holds it in his mouth here at home for naps and bed time.  I'm hoping we're about to gain some closure on this issue...but Chad pointed out to me just this week that he's noticed Grant sucking his thumb now.  AAAHHH!!!

*verbal! There's nothing this kid can't say and he continues to amaze us daily with his vocabulary.  I just reminded Chad the other day about how we used to be scared Grant was never going to talk.  You have to remember we had Landon in this house for three years before Grant showed up.  Landon, the kid who you could have full blown conversations with and who sang Away in a Manger before he was two. Landon, the kid who talked FOR Grant for quite some time.  I still enjoy some of the cute little words Grant says....like felled down instead of fell, and how he likes to eat faffles and hoptarts for breakfast, watch Shoota Why (Super Why), and play beeseball with Wandon.

'the look'

*strong willed.  The teacher in me knows this is the positive spin on stubborn...when I sit across the table from his teacher and she says, 'My little Grant is very strong willed,' like it's a good thing, I'll know she's speaking in code for, "I can't get your kid to do anything that's not his idea."...but the adult in me knows that being 'strong willed' as a child isn't necessarily a bad thing.  People who are strong willed aren't swayed from doing what they believe is right, and they're determined.  Those are good things.  As a matter of fact, I can't think of a better example of 'strong willed' than my own brother.  I've said on a few occasions that we should've just skipped the 'Jeffrey' and went straight for the 'Michael' when naming Grant.  Michael's a super intellingent successful guy though.  Nothing wrong with that...that being said, I know raising him wasn't always EASY either.  Grant has a look where he furrows his brow when he doesn't want to do something.  And there's no swaying him...it's gotta be his idea.  Above..

Mommy:  Grant!  Show me how old you are?  How many fingers are you today?
Grant:  (furrowed brow)  no
Mommy:  Can you show me?  How old are you today?
Grant:  (furrowed brow) no
Landon:  here I'll show ya...he's three!  Grant's three!
Grant:  I can do it too!

and boom....he does it.  Stinker.




*fun loving.  Grant has the cutest little growly giggle that every time I hear it I can't help but smile.  And most times, when he gets the giggles he also gets the hiccups.   Sometimes Landon will get Grant giggling over something that doesn't even make sense...and he gets super tickled.  And speaking of tickled he's super ticklish under his chin, too so you can hear that growly giggle on demand if you know where to get him.  ;)

*all boy...he loves all sports and is much rougher than Landon ever was.  He especially likes basketball and hockey.  He is starting to play pretend and can often be heard saying something about 'getting the bad guys.'  He also had a little spurt where he was adding the word 'butt' to the end of everything he said, and cracking up about it.  Another favorite thing of his to say is Poopy Head Eyeball.  We don't know where that came from, and it's starting to phase out a little bit but he used it say it all. the. time...even after us getting on to him about it.

*a good eater...(well relative to Landon, he's a good eater I guess...he's still pretty picky, but less than Landon so in this house, he's a good eater)  His favorites include the typical kid favorites...macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, cheese pizza, corn dogs, hot dogs, pancakes, waffles, muffins, and yogurt.  He's also a big fan of blackberries and cold whole grain pasta with parmesan cheese.  Yeah, no vegetables on the favorite list.  He'll eat cooked carrots though and occasionally celery with peanut butter and green beans.

Other oddities about Grant that will make me laugh to read in the future:
*he HATES and I mean HATES getting his hair cut.  My poor hair dresser (and friend), Jennifer, I'm sure really dreads our appointments.  He cries like someone's trying to murder him.  It's serious.

*second to haircuts, he also strongly dislikes band-aids.  It's like he's terrified of them.

*He just recently has started saying prayers at bedtime instead of just listening to Landon, and after his thank you for mommy, daddy, and Wandon, regulars....he says thank you for Goofy or Shoota Why.  ;)  depends on the night.

And the last adjective that Grant is
....is  a blessing.  We love you lots and lots Grant Jeffrey!  Happy 3RD Birthday to you...and many more!