Three year old Parker: Favorites

I saw this idea on Pinterest, to ask your child the same questions every year on their birthday and keep a record of their answer. Love this. So here it goes...

 1. What is your favorite color? purple
2. What is your favorite toy? I like the pirate ship, because that's the way Parker's do. 
3. What is your favorite food? daddy's cereal (Honey bunches of oats) and pizza (actually he doesn't like it at all)
4. What is your favorite tv show? Tangled... random. He's seen it once. He actually likes Little Einsteins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and chip and dale
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Nothing. 
6. What is your favorite outfit? My train shirt. 
7. What is your favorite game? My favorite game is chop chop timber (a wrestling game with daddy). 
8. What is your favorite snack? goldfish
9. What is your favorite animal? elephants
10. What is your favorite song? Jesus wants me for a sun-beep
11. What is your favorite book? The Hungry Bear
12. Who is your best friend? Sadie and Carter
13. What is your favorite cereal? daddy's cereal (honey bunches of oats... he eats 6-8 bowls a day)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? I like to play and ride my bike.
15. What is your favorite drink? chocolate milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas... actually Christmas eve... I like holidays
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? White blanket and train blanket and my toys
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes and sausage
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Ummm... tacos (another random answer that he doesn't really eat). He usually eats cereal, but has been better about eating some of what we are eating.  
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor... because that's what boys do.  

Oh, and sweetest thing at the doctor today. We went for his 3 year physical (weight: 31 pounds, height: 37 inches). He hadn't had a flu shot yet, so I wanted to get that done, but I didn't tell him. At the end, I told the nurse to bring in the flu shot and I told him he had to get a little poke. He was so brave and didn't even cry when he got the shot.

Then, we had to go over to the lab to get a lead and anemia test done for preschool. After he had just had a poke, he WAS NOT interested in waiting around to get yet another poke. And unfortunately the lab was packed and we were having to wait around for a while. He was crying and telling me he wanted to go home. Can't blame the guy. The anticipation was killing him. Everyone else in the room was over 70 years old, and thought the boys were so cute, even though Parker was melting down (thankfully not in a tantrum way, just a pathetic scared/sad way). I started having parker "perform" for everyone, to distract him. He started hopping around the room, walking backwards, etc... They started giving him tips for reducing the pain during a blood draw. It was so cute. Finally they called his name, and even though he was super scared, he did great and got to pick out a few stickers. When he walked out of the room, back into the waiting room, the whole place erupted in applause! Parker started pumping his arms and showing everyone his bandaid around his elbow. It was so sweet. I'll never forget his little face, or theirs. They helped him get through that, and he felt really proud of himself in the end.

 We went to Chick-fil-a as a reward. You can see his cotton ball on his elbow.

Love my little ones

For the past few years, I have followed the story of a little girl with cancer. I first became aware of this family from Santa Barbara through a mutual friend. Her dad is a pastor, and the mom has blogged beautifully about their little girl's fight with cancer. She has had three years of back and forth with cancer and remission, but with each new diagnosis, they have maintained such profound faith and peace. It has been inspiring to watch them deal with challenges I cannot even imagine. It has been a constant point of perspective for me, especially since becoming a mother.

Daisy, their eight year old daughter, passed away a few days ago. Her fight was long and painful, and the family has found great peace in knowing she is now living painlessly in heaven. Here is an excerpt from something her mom wrote the day after she passed:

My final request to all who read this blog: love. Love your babies, your husbands, mothers, sisters. Love each day like it’s your last. All you mamas out there, you have been entrusted with the precious gift of a human life who depends on you. Enjoy your gift. Breathe in the scent of your child’s hair, breath. Let them cook with you and make a mess of the kitchen. Play hide and seek with them, build sand castles with them, take them on picnics, read to them!  Listen to them, value and respect them, never shame them.  Your words they will carry with them their whole life and you have the power to give them wings or stunt their growth. Motherhood can be tough but it’s worth it. It can be exhausting, boring, tedious, but never for long. You blink and they’re grown. It has been my honor and privilege to love Daisy these last 8 years. I’m thankful for every minute; the joyful and the terrible alike.

I pray that we can all do just that. I have made a more conscious effort in the last few days to nag less with Parker and to just sit with him and mess up his blond hair. I love to nuzzle Austin and feels his cheeks tighten into a smile. These are the moments that matter most, and most of my daily complaints will carry no eternal weight. But the time I spend with my boys, the things that I say to them, and the way I make them feel... those things will transfer with them to eternity.

 These boys are my life, my joy. They make me smile, day after day.

One last birthday post

Last night we did a family dinner/dessert at my parents house. Ryan and Chloe gave Parker the most awesome dinosaur. Needless to say, he slept with it last night, so there was even less room for him to sleep in his pack n play last night. 

 Austin loving his finger foods.

 Cute cousins.

 Birthday twins... Uncle Dave and Parker. I told Parker it was dave's birthday too, and he said, "I don't want anyone else on my birthday." Honest words of a three year old.

 Proud grandparents.

 We gave Parker a pirate ship and it surpassed our expectations of how much he loved that thing. He played with it all day long. And my grandparents gave him some Jake and the Neverland Pirates figures, so it was extra perfect. Parker was amazing in sharing with Austin all day long. So sweet. They are playing in the kitchen because that allowed the boat to sail with the most ease.

 We went to CPK the night before to celebrate, just the four of us. It was a special night.

 Austin couldn't get at the ice cream fast enough.

Park and Calvin. Calvin is so sweet with him. 

 The girls and the VERY popular tricycle. The funniest was when Parker was peddling and and Calvin was riding along while standing on the back. Pedi-cab driver in the making. :)

 So excited about the candles and the singing.

 The boys and the grandparents.

 

 Puzzle babies.

 Mid-song!

 Parker REALLY loved his birthday hat.

 That's my boy!

A small request...

Right before bed tonight, Parker turns to me and says, "Mama, can you do me a favor?" I said sure. He pauses. "Will you make Daddy come home?" Someone is missing their daddy who's working late. Sweet.

The other night Pete called to tell Parker goodnight. Parker, who is getting very conversational on the phone, said, "Are you coming home now?" When Pete said he wasn't, Parker said, "Can you get in your car now and come play soccer with me?" While Pete had planned on working at the office for several more hours, he replied instead, "Sure. I'll be right there." And he got in 20 minutes of soccer before Parker went to bed. Then he worked from home.

I really appreciate how Pete does what he needs to do a work, but also works hard to make us a priority. I know it especially means the world to Parker, who really notices when he's gone.

Pete's a good one. We're all so lucky to have him.

We like to party!

We celebrated Parker's birthday on Saturday with a party at the park with some friends and family. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a lot of fun. Here's all the kiddos..

 Sadie gave Parker a soccer ball which they loved playing with. It also came with markers to decorate it, and they all huddled around to color on it. So precious.

 Cousins and Carter.

 My baby and me.

 Carter and Parker. He got an awesome little motorcyle from his buddy. So fun!

 Presents were of course a hit. We weren't going to open them at the park, but of course the birthday boy could not resist.

 Family shot.

 Grammy lighting the candles. (I've never lit a match in my life... afraid of the striking part).

 Austin and Olin in jail.

Sadie and Parker. 

 Parker, Grandpa Bob, Kari, and Shianne.

 Grandpa Bob gave him an awesome Thomas the Train set.

We had a special day celebrating our little buddy.