I'm Three Years Old!

Finn's birthday was a blast this year. He finally "got it." In the morning, Finn asked me, "What are they bringing me?" I wasn't exactly sure where this conversation was going, so I said, "What do you think they're bringing you?" He replied, "A cake! And tarts!" Well, he lucked out on that front. I somehow pulled off a homemade train cake (despite a frosting emergency and late night trip to the grocery store) and it was a big hit. We decided on The Little Engine That Could as the theme for our little train enthusiast's bash. From the cake to the presents, it was all things trains! Thanks, Grosi and Grandpa, for the amazing Swiss railway set. I think Finn was still a little overwhelmed by it all, as he stopped mid-present opening, stood up straight faced, and said, "I'm serious." It is serious business, turning three and all. We topped off the night with fondue, one of Finn's favs. Again, Finn rid himself of his pants half way through the day, so we can rest assured he had an excellent birthday.

A Week With My Grosi and Grandpa

Wow, we've done so much this past week, I don't even know where to start! Grosi and Grandpa came to celebrate Finn's third birthday with us. We spent two beautiful spring days downtown, seeing the sights, enjoying the culinary delights... ok, enough rhyming. The visit boiled down to this: Finn loved every second with Grosi and Grandpa. He wanted them to play with him every waking moment. (And every sleeping moment, as we have a nighttime hallway loiterer on our hands.) Between playing cars (if we got a nickel each time Finn said, "Grandpa, will you play cars with me?" ... you get the point), trains, and play-doh, the days flew by. At least for me they did. Maybe not so much for Grosi and Grandpa. :) As an aside, you may see some pantsless pics of Finn on a go-forward basis. Apparently, his legs get hot after an intense 15 minutes of play and he sheds them.

Ridin' in Style

If Grosi and Grandpa choose to move to Portland, this is where we will all be living.
Chillaxin' at The Nines

Enjoying gelato in the Pearl District - Grandpa asked Finn for a taste of his gelato and Finn replied, "Sure! But just a little."

The pants have come off, folks.

Training for his future gig at the Farmers' Market.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Another gorgeous spring day. Another perfect excuse for a bike ride! Finn comes from a long line of cyclists, albeit fair weather cyclists. Yesterday we ventured over to the sprawling park behind our library and biked around the ponds, ran down a few hills, and paused to contemplate nature and its beauty. Finn made sure to hit every pothole and "speedbump" on the path in true male fashion. That's my boy.

"What's on the road today?"

As you can see, we have quite the transportation arsenal in our house. Finn not only drives and flies his cars, buses, trucks, trains, planes, etc around the house, he is always going somewhere. Frequently, while doing dishes, I hear from the hallway, "Mommy, what's on the road today?" The converstion progresses. "I don't know, Finn. What's on the road today?" "Buses are on the road today. They're going to the ZOO!" "Oh, wow!" "Mommy, did you get on the buuuuuuus?" "I just got on!" I love listening to his little travel adventures. It's also not uncommon to walk around the corner to find a new "display" set up. I smell a little organizer in the works!

Photo Booth

What to do on a Thursday night when you've already been on a monorail at the zoo, watched the hippos kiss, followed a helicopter all around the living room sky and transported freight to the airport? (Hint : this kid has a vivid imagination) Photo Booth time! It's hard to get a genuine smile out of Finn on camera, as he lately loves to say "cheese" and bears his teeth like a growling bear. So we compiled some funny face photos for you to enjoy. Please concentrate your attention on Finn and not so much on Mommy.

"Say Cheese"

"My Mommy is the funniest person I know. That's because Daddy's not home. Otherwise, she would probably be the second funniest person I know."
Finn chose to personify a carp. Mommy chose a catfish.

Here we're both scared of what might happen if Finn skips yet another nap at daycare.