Ashton's 1st Birthday

So, all three of our boys' birthdays fall within a month-and-a half.  It's a little crazy.  So a few days after celebrating Carter's birthday we dove in to celebrating Ashton's.  Tristan still wasn't home so we decided to take a trip up to the zoo.  My dad came along to help me wrangle all three boys and he got this monkey for Ashton on our way in to see the animals.

My big birthday boy!

 My kids have always been fans of the aquarium exhibits, and Ashton is no exception!

 The sharks were very active that day because there were people who had paid to go down in a shark cage for the shark feed.  It was fun to see them swimming around so much compared to normal.

 The boys always look forward to petting the sting rays.

 A picture with Grandpa

 The octopus was also out more than usual that day.  Very fun to watch.

 We stopped and had a little picnic in the grass with our peacock friend.

 Grandpa got some kettle corn to share with the birthday boy and he gobbled it up!

 The boys were also treated to food to feed the birds.  They all loved it and Carter was especially focused on feeding them.

 Ashton kept trying to grab them, but the birds held their own.  Haha!

 As usual, we had to stop and play at the playground.  I think I have a picture of each of my boys in this log at about this age!  Probably wearing the same shirt, too!

 And, if you're going to the zoo, you have to stop for a Sonic treat on the way home!

 We enjoyed a quiet evening at home that day and Ashton opened a few presents.

 It's always nice to have a big brother to help out!

 Ashton loves Carter's Taggie Blanket, so the boys decided Ashton needed one of his own.

 It was a big hit!

We had a fun day celebrating our newest one-year-old.

Carter at 3 Years Old

Sometimes I forget that Carter is only 3.  Because he has an older brother, I often just lump him into the same age that Ethan is--and sometimes the same expectations.  As his 3rd birthday approached it was like I realized for the first time that he was only TWO.  He tries so hard to keep up with and be like his brother that it's really easy to forget.  Carter has a silly personality that is really starting to shine through as he gets older.  He is a boy, through and through.  Gross things and potty humor make him laugh the most.  And as hard as I try, I can't help but giggle with him--even though I know I should be discouraging him.  ;)  He also is really starting to show a strong attachment to his dad.  Which is a double-edged sword because when Tristan is gone, it's really hard on him.  We've had to work a lot to make sure he feels connected to Tristan when he's out of town.

I love that Carter is turning into a snuggle bug.  If someone's going to come find me in the middle of the night to crawl in bed with me--it's going to be Carter.  I've gotten to a point that I let him stay with me and snuggle for a little bit before I take him back to his bed.  I just love that he wants to cuddle.  At night when we do bedtime I love the way he asks, "Will you lay with me?" in the sweetest voice.  It's hard to resist!

 Carter is definitely more of a free-spirit and an adventurous kid.  From food to playtime, if it's new or different, he's all about it!  At the same time, Carter has a tender heart.  He's the first to give up a toy or a sticker if one of his brother wants it.  It's really very sweet how willing he is to give up something to make them happy (most of the time).

 He really, really wants to be like Ethan.  So often when I ask him to make a choice he will check with me first by asking, "What did Ethan pick?" and then he'll choose the same thing.  I hope that these two have a strong relationship as they grow up and that Ethan can be a good role model for him as they grow.

 Here are some things to know about Carter at age 3:

 ::  Favorite person in the whole world:  Ethan  (so sweet)

 ::  Favorite color:  Green

 ::  Favorite T.V. show:  Rescubots

 ::  Favorite outfit:  Jeans and shirts (haha)

 ::  Favorite sport:  Soccer

 ::  Favorite song:  Peanut and a peanut house (I think he made that up...Lol)

 ::  Favorite cereal: Fruit Loops

 ::  Best Friend:  Sharon

 ::  What he wants to be when he grows up:  a pilot

 ::  Favorite book:  The Polar Express

 ::  What he thinks he's really good at:  Cleaning up

 ::  Where he wishes he could go on vacation: the beach

 ::  His best memory:  my birthday

 ::  What he would buy with $1,000:  a batman car

 ::  Vegetable he hates the most:  tomatoes

 ::  If he could have any wish, it would be:  a remote control car

 ::  Favorite ice cream flavor:  Blueberry (?)

 ::  Who his biggest hero is:  Dad

 ::  What he likes to do best with his friends:  Share with them

 ::  What he hopes he can do before his next birthday:  get car decorations

Interviewing a three-year-old is a funny experience.  But it's amazing how much he has matured in the last year and has developed some preferences.  I'm so grateful that this sweet boy is a member of our family.  I love that he is so different than his older brother, but that he holds him in such high esteem.  Our family just wouldn't be the same without this boy!

Carter's 3rd Birthday

Shortly after school started we had another birthday to celebrate!  This time it was Carter's turn.  He is finally reaching the age where he has things that he likes and talks about.  This year it was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I don't know why.  He hasn't watched the cartoon, or the movies.  All I can guess is that he's seen commercials that he likes at my parents' house or something.  Lol.  Anyway, I decided to run with it for his birthday this year.

 He got to pick what he wanted for breakfast.  His choices were Fruit Loops, sausage and watermelon.  The breakfast of champions.  :)  The funny thing is that just the other day (3 months later) he asked me if I remembered having sausage on his birthday.  I'm glad that I let him choose because the fact that he remembers must mean it was important to him.

 I picked up this Ninja Turtle popcorn to snack on--the only thing special about it is the fact that there's a turtle on the bag.  But it was still a fun treat!

 There used to be a bounce house here in town that we would go to often to get out when Ashton was a baby.  Well, it closed down and he has talked about it non-stop since then.  Another bounce house has opened up and when I asked Carter what he wanted to do that was it.  So he got to choose a friend to invite and after Ethan got home from school we headed over to play.  Carter wanted to invite Skyler and Dylan, but since Skyler was in school only Dylan got to come.  But he was just as happy with that!

The boys had a blast playing.  It's actually a really great place.

 The boys loved "racing" down these bumpy slides.

 They burned some energy in the big bounce houses.

 Cody and Ashton had fun bouncing, too!

 Dylan braving it down the big slide

 Love these three boys!  I especially love how perfectly Ashton is saying "cheese" for the camera!

 We enjoyed some yummy ice cream for a treat while we took a break from playing.

 Birthday boy!

 Who needs a spoon on your birthday?

 Then it was back to playing.  The boys loved this zip line.

 Ethan even helped Carter across so he could do it, too.  It was really sweet.

 Carter loves to go "play" the video games.  He doesn't care that he isn't actually playing (or maybe he thinks he is?) but he likes to sit in the seats.  So I promised him we could go play for the last 10 minutes that we were there.

 Carter also got to choose what he wanted for dinner and he chose Ninja Turtle-shaped macaroni and cheese.  Later that night we invited grandparents over for cake and ice cream.  When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted he said he wanted strawberry cake.  I wasn't really sure what that meant, but it ended up that he wanted strawberry shortcake.  After the end of strawberry season.  It took me going to three stores, but I finally found some o.k. fresh strawberries.  Tristan was gone, so I cheated and bought an angel food cake at the store and just put a turtle figure in the middle for decoration.  What can I say? I got lazy.  ;)

 Make a wish!

 Enjoying some yummy birthday cake!

We had a fun day celebrating our big 3-year-old Carter!

Enjoying Our "Indian Summer"

Washington is famous for having the best part of summer fall in August and September.  This last summer was no exception.  We had beautiful weather through most of the month of September.  It was nice that Ethan got out half-way through the day so we could enjoy the warm afternoons together!

Carter didn't seem to have any trouble adjusting to Ethan being gone in the mornings.  At first, Ashton was still napping so it was just he and I most of the morning.  We had fun doing puzzles and other activities.  Or he just enjoyed having all the toys to himself and playing whatever he wanted.  Eventually Ashton dropped his morning nap, but now he and Carter do great playing together while Ethan is at school.

 We squeezed in some more play time at my parents' house while the weather was still nice.  The tree house my dad started last summer was finished and the boys LOVE playing in it.

 Even Ashton loves being up there--can you blame him?

 We really enjoy playing in the water and on the swings at my parents'.  I'm glad they have a nice big back yard to play in!

 One night I went back to check on the boys before I went to bed to find that they had ended up in the same bed together.  I thought it was so cute.  These are the moments you realize they really do love each other.  :)

 Carter and I did painting and apple prints one morning while Ethan was at school.

 I just love watching these boys get closer as they get older.  It's so sweet to see how much Ashton looks up to his big brothers and desperately wants to do everything they do.  And I love how willing the boys (usually) are to include him.

 Ethan looks a little less happy here, but I wanted to include one that showed Carter, too.  As he's gotten older he is noticeably sensitive about being left out.  I love that boy!

I've said it once, I'll say it before.  Washington is SO beautiful in the summer.  It's warm, but not so warm you can't enjoy being outside.  And the cool days are few and far between.  I'm so grateful for the beautiful place we call "home"!!