Third Birthday

This year, we held your birthday party at Ayala Triangle Park on the Sunday before your actual birthday. You love being outside and we love nature so another birthday celebration at a park was the perfect setting. We don't often get to ATP and it has a big space for you and your friends to run around. 

For your third birthday, the theme was airplanes, your favorite interest by a mile. You and your friends Jared, Aaron, Livi, Maya, Eden, Ivy, Aidan, Greyson, Henry, Charlie, Lulu, Hannah, Sam and Lily had a blast. You wore a pilot's hat (an early birthday gift) and flew around the park on your fast little legs, sometimes with a glider in hand. You rolled a humongous blow-up ball and giggled hysterically when others tried to chase you with it. You kicked soccer balls into goals and played catch. You saw a bunny on a leash and wanted to walk it. You picked out ice cream to eat and gobbled up other snacks. We all sang Happy Birthday (your most favorite song in the world for which you are known to sing different variations) to you and passed around airplane-shaped sugar cookies that you decorated with your Ates. All your friends donated money for you to help save the sea turtle, which is the animal you picked from World Wildlife Fund's Endangered Species list. Best of all, when it started getting dark, we moved towards the light show and enjoyed the dancing lights in the trees and listening to the music. You were one tired boy after such an eventful afternoon, but seeing your smiles made it all worth it.

The next evening, on your actual birthday, we came home from work early so that we could make your donation of $75 to WWF to help the sea turtles. You also got to open your presents from Mom and Dad. Among your gifts were three books about airplanes, four die-cast airplanes (when you saw them, you shrieked "Oh Yeeeeah!!!"), more pretend food for your kitchen set, a real soccer ball and pop-up goal and a trumpet. Lola sent over a Seahawks Mr. Potato Head (coolest thing ever!), some clothes and some shoes. Great Grammie also sent some clothes and pretend play outfits for your dress up box. From the Ferens, you got an awesome firefighter set, complete with suit, flashlight, megaphone, whistle, fire extinguisher and hatchet. You were so excited to see that all the things on the couch were just for you!

Afterwards, your wonderful Ates Delia and Lulu cooked up a special spaghetti dinner for us all to enjoy together. It was the first time for the Ates to eat with us and you loved all the attention. After a big meal, we sang Happy Birthday to you and ate big slices of a delicious chocolate cake with none other than airplane candles!

Now that you are a big three year old, we often look back and marvel at how much you have grown physically and emotionally since you came home. You continue to amaze us every day with your funny personality, your charm and the way you view the world. You are a master at pretend play and you are one of the most creative people we know. We love how interested you are in so many different things. Mostly, we love your huge smiles, big laughs and tender loves.

Happy Birthday, big boy.

We love you,
Mom and Dad