Three Years Old

Greyson is now three years old. This means we had a party, celebrated all weekend with family and friends, and have a new bedtime routine.

For weeks leading up to the big birthday we discussed bedtime. Mike and I take turns getting G to bed each night, because it usually means staying in the room until he's asleep. Yes, I know, it's just the way we do things. He would command us to "sit on the bear" after we put him in the crib (yes, still in a crib too!). Meaning, sit and stay a while. He's got a bear chair that's a pretty cozy spot to sit (or lay) and wait. Mike has been known to fall asleep himself while waiting it out.

I explained that when he was three years old, we would read some books and then turn out the lights, listen to our nighttime song, put him in bed, and leave the room. He would be a big boy and he could get to sleep by himself. He seemed to accept this, and his birthday was still a ways away.

About a week before the big birthday, Grey woke up maybe a half hour after he fell asleep. I went into his room, gave him a hug and a kiss, and told him to go back to sleep. He said "I'm two!" and kept repeating it. Finally he said "But I'm two years old" and I realized he was telling me that I needed to stay with him until he fell back asleep, that it was my duty since he hadn't turned three yet.

The tactic worked like a charm and bedtimes are a lot easier nowadays. Why didn't we try that sooner!?

Greyson's birthday weekend was a whirlwind of planning and playing. Jo and Pops were in town and we went downtown for Touch-A-Truck. This is a fabulous fundraiser for a local private school where local companies and agencies donate a truck and a driver for the day. Kids (thousands of little boys!) can get in each truck, talk to the driver, blow the horn, etc. There was every kind of truck from a big rig to a garbage truck, UPS truck to cement truck, vaccon truck to military truck. Greyson was in heaven, and he got a hug from Chester Cheetah at the Frito Lay tractor-trailer.






After lunch and a nap, Greyson's party started. We had a camping themed shindig with tents and a fire pit in the back yard. He got some awesome gifts from his outdoorsy Uncle and Aunt, and had a blast running around in the backyard with flashlights and glowsticks, looking for hidden bugs. Some of his pals brought their tents too, and even though Greyson didn't sleep in the yard, the whole Crown family did! They win the prize for being backyard campers for sure. Once again, Greyson didn't touch his birthday cake (store-bought this time, so you can't blame my baking) but he did enjoy some ice cream. I don't think he had a fire-roasted hot dog or any chili or s'mores, but he ate enough gummy worms and frogs and marshmallows to last a lifetime.




So far, life with a three-year-old is going great.