Yesterday (Feb. 9) was Eli’s third birthday. As you know, he decided to go without a big party. Hurray! I have to say that this made it a totally mellow easy day. He got some train track parts, a round funnel piece for the marble run, and cowboy boots just like mine (well, except for that they’re cheap fake ones from eBay).
I love how Eli is processing what this gift is (how it's not a toy, I think), and Henry immediately fully grasps why cowboy boots are an awesome Eli present.
The nice thing about boots is...
...you can step right into them. (Yeah, ok, so they're on the wrong feet.)
And there's our cowboy! The wonder of the gift definitely sunk in as the day went on, and he would randomly exclaim, "I'm excited about my new cowboy boots." I realize that most cowboys don't wear football shirts and M.C. Hammer pants, but we like to mix it up a bit.
Also as promised, peanut butter cupcakes. They called for milk chocolate frosting, but my brain said, "Milk chocolate? What's that?" so we made dark chocolate frosting. With a big goopy frosting 3 on each one. And, if you turn them upside down, they're Es. (How many of you are doing funny neck contortions right now so you can look at the cupcakes upside down?)
Eli, about to blow out the candles, holding the Magic Birthday Baster. (Ok, so there IS no Magic Birthday Baster. I'm just not sure I can fully explain why he's chosen to grip a turkey baster as he's about to blow out his candles.)
I am astonished that Eli is only three. It seems like he’s been around for 30 years. Not to mention the fact that he is just enormous. He’s almost as tall as Henry (who is no slouch), plus Henry weighs 40 pounds and Eli weighs…39 pounds. Granted, Henry is super skinny guy and Eli has inherited my Eastern European potato-carrying build, but still. I can’t believe he’s only three.
Happy Birthday Eli!
I forgot to mention that one of my other favorite parts of yesterday was that every time someone told Eli, “Happy Birthday!” he’d reply, “And happy birthday to YOU!”
Funny, I feel like he’s been in MY life for 30 years! hard to picture him tucked into his little sling, not sitting up, but still looking so different and older than my pudge just a month behind him, who tucked his fat legs under him and didn’t move from a bhudda sit for so many more months. Eli always seemed all limbs, like, teenager-long, and old, wise eyes.
Well, Happy birthday to us all, but especially to Eli.
Happy Birthay, Eli! I’ll never forget the first time I saw him in his little sling, at the Chicken Farm story hour thing. And then again in Robinson’s woods…he is huge, and beautiful, and yes, a wise little man. In his nifty new boots, he must be taller than Henry!