Welcome to the Party Station

We Ain't Foolin' No more Droolin'

Sorry for the lame tittle I just had this cute picture of Owen finally bib free

Slobber Buckets

I realize this is a random milestone to mark but it must be documented none the less. When Linus was a baby I would often see other mother's with bibs on their babies all the time and I would scoff...why on earth would you purposefully cover up a cute baby outfit with a frumpy bib: not my child. I suspect God heard my prideful heart and sent me my sweet little drool baby. The child could drool through a fresh onsie before I had it over his head.

But I believe that we are officially past the drool stages. He still slobbers an unnatural quantity but I think I can begin to pack away those unsightly bibs that never quite matched his outfits.

ringing in three with a bang...

Our "Big Boy!"

its party time...

Linus Turns Three

For Linus' 3rd birthday we had a Thomas the Train birthday party. I started planning quite awhile in advance but of course I didn't actually get around to making any of the decorations until the day before...always a bad idea. Luckily, Grandma Cece saved the day by finishing everything including a five car train cake. The cool thing is that now days it is ridiculously easy to steal other peoples birthday ideas off line. I just googled: Train Party, and found that there are actually whole sites where people describe everything they did for a particular party. So the day of the party I was able to sit back kick up my heals and smile serenely while taking credit for other peoples ideas and my sweet mother in laws labor.

On the day of the party we moved the dining room table out and pushed the couches to the side of the room, then we set up a bunch of stations. We had two train tables. A reading corner with lots of train books, a coloring table with train coloring pages and craft supplies for making train tunnels out of shoe boxes (which no one did) and we also had a Thomas pop up tent. We had adult food on the counter (with an electric train circling it), and then we set up a low table with kid snacks ( fruit, pb&j, juice, raisins, goldfish, and sippy cups). We didn't plan any games since most of the kids were too young. There were enough things to do that the kids just wandered from one station (no pun intended) to the next and for the most part the adults were able just to sit back and visit.
Disclaimer: This may or may not be my party description...I may have just cut and pasted from a party site :)

More Birthday Fun....

I am technologically challenged I can't figure out how to upload more than 4 pics to a post, so here is the party in parts...you get the idea

Cross Little Engine

It is a well known fact that Linus love trains, and since Thomas and his "cheeky" little engine friends seem to have a monopoly on the toy train industry we have embraced their wacky antics. For those of you who have had the "privilege" of viewing one the the countless poor quality videos with tangential plot lines and questionable moral content, you know that they are irresistible to the average toddler. There are a host of "cheeky engines," who are constantly getting miffed or "cross" with each other in their quest to be "really useful engines." If you haven't watched any of Thomas videos I would suggest starting the journey with "Ten Years of Thomas." I will gladly give you our copy. You will get a smattering of grimy inarticulate children and their parents spouting Thomas propaganda sandwiched between grainy Thomas episodes-delightful!

Okay, all cynicism aside, our boy loves his trains and it has been so fun to watch his play blossom in creativity with his little trains. It started with a lot of assistance from adults in building tracks on the floor, then last year when Owen was born we got a train table at a garage sale. This has been the one enduring toy that Linus never tires of. Each time we come to get him up in the morning he runs out to his trains. If we change his tracks or set up new people or animals while he is napping we are greeted with the chorus of "Oh my goodness.... My Special Tracks....Oh, I love it!" when he emerges from his room. As he has aged his trains and their relationships have become more complex...sometimes they crash, or tell each other they are not being nice, sometimes they hit things on the track and still other times they rescue each other.

For about the last month each morning Linus informs us of what engine we will be. Not surprisingly he is usually Thomas. Owen is always Percy. I am most often James but when I try to convince Linus to let me be a girl engine I am often demoted to Cranky the railroad crane and forced to lift Linus and his toys out of countless predicaments until my back is aching. Andy is usually Toby or Gordon on a good day.

What makes me laugh about this game is that we continue in character throughout the day. If I accidentally call him by his name I am quickly corrected. Linus seamlessly weaves the imaginary into reality. If I want him to take a bath I tell him we are going to the bath station where all useful engines need to get a proper wash down. If Owen gets into his things Linus (or I should say Thomas) will Shriek..."James!! Move Percy he is getting my stuff." He doesn't even change rolls when whining. Today when we came home from church the house was a mess (as it often is-I know shocking), and Linus asked me who made the mess. I told him the "Percy" did it. Laughing he slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead and responded "oh no Percy you can't make a mess, you are making me a very cross engine! I am a very cross Thomas!"