Long over due, but here are our images from our belated Christmas in Calgary, and Dylan's 3rd Birthday !

 Happy Birthday Cupcake first thing in the morning !

 He has a hockey helmet, but he's been asking and asking and asking for a goalie one.....

 When you ask how old he is, he says "3- bigger" he always has to add the bigger part.  :)

 Chuck E Cheese !!!!!!!!!!!!

 Cake at Grandma and Grandpa's after Chuck E Cheese

Happy Birthday Dylan

 

Happy Birthday our sweet little boy !

2 days shy of 3 yrs old

You are 36 months old today.  36 months doesn't seem like a long time, but three years sure does !

Mommy and Daddy love you more then anything.  

I love when I ask you "who is my best little guy" you say shyly "I"  

You have grown and developed and changed so much since we brought you home.  You are the best thing to happen to Mommy and Daddy ever !  We love to watch you do things, learn things and discover new things.  

We are so proud of you.  We love to hear you sing Christmas songs.  We love your silly little dances.  We love the bedtime kisses, and nose rubs, and ear rubs....

We are proud that you are a friendly outgoing boy.

We love you even when you stomp your foot, give us attitude and fight for your way.

We love to watch you play for hours and hours with cars and trucks.

Your little friends have become very important to you this year.  You can't get enough of hanging out with Milan, and playing in the cul-de-sac with Ethan.   You still think the sun rises and falls on the shoulders of your surrogate sister, and your best girl Rowan.  

This year you learnt to say the ABCs, to sing full songs, to count to 10.

You still love trains and kitties and fire fighters and police officers.  

You have become obsessed with hockey this year.  You sometimes reply that your name is Mikka Kipprosoff instead of saying Dylan.  You love Jarome Iginla and can identify many NHL teams by their jerseys.  You tell us that you want to play for the Flames, and only the Flames.  One day you told daddy that you "not want to play for Toronto Maple Leafs" .   You love to play hockey in the cul-de-sac with the boys, and in the house even when Mommy says no.  You got your first real hockey stick, hockey helmet and hockey gloves this year and wear them all the time.  You enjoy watching hockey with Daddy and love going to Blazers games.

You love your Digger stuffy, and still sleep with your beloved sleeping babies.  Some days there are more stuffies in your bed then we can count, including "daddy" Barney, but that's the way you like it.

You went to gymnastics often, and loved it.  Stella said you have natural physical ability.  As your mother and number one supporter I agree.  

You talk about your Grannie and Grandad and Grandma and Grandpa all the time- wishing you could spend more time with them.  

You are strong willed and smart, and a bit stubborn.  You are determined and focused.  You want your way, and know how to throw a mean tantrum when you feel it's required, which, thankfully isn't too often.  But even when you tantrum, we still love you no matter what.

You still have daddy's lips, and mommy's crooked bottom teeth and crazy cowlick.  You hate to nap and are pretty much done with it as we approach three.  You still cuddle with us, but on your own time.

You are better at indulging me with my photo shoots, and now even sometimes willingly participate.

You are everything to us, the most wonderful little boy we could ask for, and a joy to have.  I'm thankful to be an at home mommy with you and experience everything with you every day throughout your waking hours.

I will put in a request though Dylan for you to sleep in a bit longer.  5/5:30 is a bit early for Mommy.  :)

Happy Third Birthday our special little boy who thinks he's such a big boy and all grown up !

Love Mommy and Daddy.

protecting from hurt.

We are quickly approaching THREE.  I really can't believe he's going to be three already !  We'll be in Calgary for his birthday, and he's super excited to go to his all time favorite place on his birthday- Chuck E Cheese.  Last year he spent his 2nd birthday there, and again he started asking early this year.  

The last few days he has asked me who else is coming to his birthday.  Grandma and Grandpa I replied.  His response was, and my friends too?  No Dyl, sorry, not your friends because we won't be in Kamloops.    I'd already made the decision not to have a party for him here in the loops.

When he turned one we had a giant party in Calgary.  Rented a hall, had family and friends, and it was a big deal.  I was sad that some people weren't able to make it, but several relatives traveled from out of town to come, and that was awesome.

When he turned two, we scaled back the Calgary party, had just a small one, but planned a larger one in Kamloops.  I figured he was having more playdates, sort of moving out of that parallel play stage into more of a social play with his friends and that he'd enjoy being surrounded by his friends, and people that were important to us in Kamloops.  It turned out that several of the people who rsvped didn't show.  Some just straight out didn't show.  Some cancelled last minute.  Six families never came. Six. six.  SIX.

Our cul-de-sac friends, as they always do showed up to support us and celebrate our boy's birthday, and one...just ONE of our friends came.  I was very thankful that this lovely family came, it meant a lot, but honestly, it was a big big disappointment for me. 

 I'm probably oversensitive, but I was really hurt that the others didn't come.  To me it sent a message that we weren't important or valuable enough to come.  Dylan didn't know, he didn't realize, he just happily played.  But I did.  I wondered if it was me that people didn't like, or didn't care enough to come around for.  I'm certain it isn't my lovely, wonderful, beautiful boy.  But it was a bit of a wake up call for me.  It felt like a taking stock of who cared and who didn't.  That year it hurt me, but I was aware that in years to come, as Dylan gets older, this type of thing will hurt him.  And that's something I'd do anything to avoid.  I don't want my boy to feel the hurt of rejection or the sting of apathy towards him.

So this year, no party.  I thought he was still young enough that he wouldn't notice, and I wasn't ready for another year of feeling crappy.  But now he's asking if his friends are coming.  He's been to parties for friends and seen us celebrate when friends have parties.  So this year, we'll be focusing on just making it special as a family.  And next year I'll have to get over it and risk that my/his/our feelings might be hurt if people bail on us.  I can't protect him from hurt all the time.

I did learn a lesson about myself from this.  I have been guilty of bailing on events.  I always figured people wouldn't miss my presence there.  And maybe they wouldn't, or maybe they would, but regardless, if lots bail, they'd likely feel the same way I did.  I've been better about it in the last few years, but it's a lesson for me that commitment means just that.  If I say I'm coming, I am.