Colin is 3!

Somehow we made it to THREE!

• His birthday dinner choice: macaroni & cheese and blueberries (our birthday tradition - you get to choose your own birthday dinner!)
• After the binkie fairy came, he woke up the next morning and said, "mommy, where's my binkie? oh, i don't need it anymore, I'm three!" And the next night when he went to bed without his binkie, he said, "Mommy, maybe the binkie fairy will go to the hospital, get a binkie from a new baby and give it back to me." I told him that wouldn't happen, and he went to bed!
• We were doing puzzles and racing each other. When he won he said, "family waits for each other. I'll wait for you." For the most part, he hates losing. So if I win, he'll say "let's do it again. and this time, it's my turn to win."
• Instead of reading books, sometimes we make up once-upon-a-time stories. In one of my once-upon-a-time stories, I said "there were two brothers named Colin & Justin..." Colin stopped me and said, "no, there were three brothers, Colin, Justin and Eeyore."
• About my clothes: "mommy, i like it when you wear dresses. i don't like it when things cover your neck." "I like your hair. It's so pretty."
• Colin & Justin: Justin smiles from ear to ear whenever Colin enters a room. Colin loves to hold, hug, and carry Justin. Colin hates it when Justin takes his toys. Colin steals Justin's binkies and hides them.
• Current musical instruments in our house: a guitar, a ukulele, two drum sets, a piano, shakers, a tamborine, and a variety music set. Colin says, "we have so much, we can make a big band now!" Then he proceeds to hand everyone a different instrument.

As the kids get older, it's becoming harder and harder to have family all across the country. We want to be close to everyone, and we think about you more than you can imagine. Love to everyone.

On his birthday -- enjoying presents shipped from across the country!

 Thank you hi-bachan for his new piano.

After his birthday dinner, we did an impromptu chocolate fondue party with Leela and Aarti. SO MUCH FUN!

And to top it off, sprinkles!

We didn't do a family birthday cake at Thanksgiving this year (lost track of it all with so many people in town). So Reagan and Brooke sang happy birthday to Colin over skype!

He's not really talking about it much, but he has his first real birthday party this Saturday with neighbors and classmates.