Theodorable

This little boy turned 3 about a month ago!  He’s still obsessed with numbers (and can now count to 30!), so there was no debating the kind of cake I would make…..

We had a family party with our good friends, and it was a smashing success (though I still don’t think he understands the concept of a birthday)!  Charlie was 3 weeks old, and I ate left over cake every night in the dark and quiet hours when I had to pump (mood enhancer). 

Theo is so different now, at three.  He wasn’t walking or talking a year ago, and now he does both.  His language is still delayed, but his personality has taken off with his ability to communicate with others.  He is painfully (almost to a debilitating level) shy, sweet and funny.  He loves to joke and play tricks and seems to have a well-developed, innate sense of humor.  He is really good at sharing with others and loves his new brother so far.  His presence is so different from other kids his age.  He is content to observe and hang back, but delights in one-on-one interaction with others (especially Piper).  

I took him to the Children’s Discovery Museum and was startled at how aggressive and inconsiderate other little boys his age can be.  Theo freely allows others into his play space and easily offers toys to others.  He is a slower mover, because he doesn’t jump into new situations.  In a lot of ways he is an otherworldly child (and super cute too) and I think part of that must be because he didn’t walk for so long.  He wasn’t at the same interactive level as his peers for more than a year, and so he’s just different right now.  I do think he’ll catch up, and it’s crazy to me to think that he hasn’t even walked for a full year yet.

Right now he loves Thomas the Train (right of passage?), counting to ten with his fingers, reading Frog and Toad with Natan, holding baby Charlie, being outside, riding horses (stick variety), playing chase (favorite), and eating pasta (new thing).   He also really likes this lizard pajama shirt he has which makes me think he might be a southwestern boy?

This is the face he makes when you ask him to smile:

And this is a real smile:

On his actual birthday, we went to Barnes and Noble to claim his free kids club cupcake.  

He played with the train table and when other kids came to play, he offered them trains.  They did not say thank you, nor were they prompted to by their parents.  I think the first lesson of parenting is that asshole kids come from asshole parents. (not that this was the worst offense by far, but I've noticed that many parents don't make their kids say sorry or thank you, which is weird to me because I feel like we're always making sure Theo says those things).

At school, his teachers made him a crown.  He was too shy to wear it in class, but did wear it to the mall (?).