Calvin’s 3rd Birthday

Calvin has been talking about having a Super Why birthday since . . . . well, approximately a week after his last birthday.  I thought for sure his request would change as we got closer to the big day, since Super Why isn’t really even one of his favorite things.  Don’t get me wrong – he likes it – it’s just that there are other things he’s really really into, like Cars, and Planes, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and about half a dozen other things before Super Why.  But Calvin was sure – he never changed his mind and would get mad if I so much as suggested a different theme.

So Super Why it was.  Technically a 3rd birthday qualifies as a “friend” year for parties, but since Calvin’s cousins are his best friends, we had all of the Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins over to our house for dinner and a party.  Calvin’s dinner request:  chicken and rice.  Big surprise.  He requests chicken and rice for dinner every single night.   Good thing there are a lot of variations.

We decorated with red sparkly super letters.

Will made Calvin his own “Why writer”.  (It’s supposed to look like a question mark.)  Calvin thought it gave him superpowers.

Calvin was so cute while he opened presents.  “Oh I’m so excited for this present!”  “Oh thank you for my present!” 

After presents, Jacey came over and said “Oh no Calvin, I have a super big problem!  I don’t know what we should do at this birthday party after presents!  I need you and the super readers to help!”  She then led all of the little kids on a scavenger hunt for the red sparkly super letters to solve the problem.  The night before, I showed Will a picture of the super-duper computer from the show and asked him to draw one on a piece of poster board.  This is what he did instead:

   Have I mentioned my husband is very creative?  And a super-duper Dad?  He is.  Both.

Jacey wrote little poems as clues for the scavenger hunt and she hid them all herself.  She did a great job, and I think she had fun.  I gave her the assignment in the first place, but she really took charge of it and I think all of the kids had fun with it. 

The kids found all of the super letters.  Phew.  Super big problem = solved.

  I thought cutting the Whyatt’s out of the extra party invitations and using them as cupcake toppers was a great idea.  Until . . .

Oops.  Whyatt got a little too close to the candles. 

Other than my niece breaking her arm right at the end of the party, it was a lovely evening. 

Calvin at three. . . . oh where to begin.  A few weeks before his birthday, Will’s mom was talking to Calvin about him turning three.  She turned to me and said “Does it seem like he has been two for an awfully long time?”  And I looked toward heaven, dropped my arms to my sides and said YES!  I’m glad somebody else noticed it too!  He is soooo hard but soooo worth it.  He is either adorable or impossible. 

More often than not, he spends his days being the Red Power Ranger and fighting Nighloks.

He likes to go to the “shopping store” with me, especially if we go to the Cars and Planes isle.

He LOVES Oakley.  I hear this line several times a day “Mom, Oakley sure does love her brother!”

He also says this to me a lot “Mom, I sure do love you.  You’re my best mom in the whole world.”

He still naps in the afternoon, mostly because he still needs it.  He can be a bear when he skips it.

My favorite Calvinism is “Lasterday”.  It means yesterday.  He also says “wiln’t” instead of “won’t,” just like Londyn and Jacey did.  He also substitutes Him and Her instead of He/She His/Her.  “Mom, is him our neighbor?”  “I like to go to him’s house.”  Another favorite is when he says “Told you!”  He SHOUTS it and it comes out like “TOAD JA!”

Calvin calls Oakley’s pacifier her blinkie.  He calls his sippy cup a slippy cup.  He calls his nursery teachers “my nursery girls”.

His temper tantrums can be epic.  Think of every cliché tactic there is, and Calvin does it.  Stomps one foot.  Juts out his lower lip.  Thrusts both fists down at his sides.  Lies on his back and kicks his feet.  Throws up his arms and crumples into a heap of tears on the floor.  I’ve seen it all.  Luckily we are starting to get to the point where I can say “Go finish your fit in your room” and he’ll go.  Usually. 

Fits and all, I like this boy.  He is smart.  He is perceptive.  He is hilarious.  His tender side comes through when he is around Oakley.  His tough side comes through when he is around Londyn. :) But I like the whole package. 

Happy birthday Calvin. :)