Tobin turned three last weekend and I feel a little overwhelmed. I can't believe he's three! Where did my two year old go? It seems like this last year flew by faster than ever. Some days I wish I could just stop him from growing up because I enjoy the stage he's in SO much. Other days, I can't wait to see what's around the corner for his precious mind, personality, sense of humor, etc. Here's a little bit about my little guy at his three year mark:
- His imagination is incredible. On most of our errand outings, we have an imaginary friend join us. It's either someone he's made up or a character from a book he's enjoying at the time. He makes sure his friend is buckled safely in the car, that they keep up with us in the stores, and that they share his snacks. It makes things a little slower than I like at times but most of the time, I just smile and enjoy seeing his creativity bloom.
- His brain is a sponge...just like his daddy. He'll read a book, play a game, watch a show, or learn something new and remember it forever. He's often reminding me that we've already borrowed a certain book from the library, he'll sing a song from a Sesame Street episode he saw weeks ago, or say a ridiculously long four-syllable word he hasn't heard but a few times! It's amazing what he remembers.
- His favorite things to do are read books, sing, play with cars, jump on the bed, copy anything that Matt does, eat, help me with chores, take care of his imaginary friends, act out Veggie Tales movies, and get dragons and dinosaurs out of the backyard (there is a pretend cage that he puts them into).
- He is a performer. He loves to sing songs...either making up his own or singing the ones he knows by heart...it doesn't matter as long as he can belt it out. He also loves to tell jokes. If I don't laugh at a joke right away, I am quickly reminded to do so with a firm "Laugh, mommy."
- His very favorite foods right now are peanut butter and honey sandwiches, grapes, pomegranates, fish, and M&M ice cream from Beth Marie's.
- Most importantly, he has a very tender heart. If I sneeze or cough or need to rest for a moment, he'll come up to me and ask "are you feeling okay today, mommy?" If one of his friends falls down, he'll go to them, ask if they're alright, and help them back up. He's already taking care of his little brother or little sister. He understands that the baby will come when it gets big enough and strong enough. He is constantly reminding me that the baby needs more food and that my belly needs to get bigger so that the baby will come!
Here are some pictures of his third birthday party. It was a fishing party and I think he and his friends had a blast...despite the cold and windy November weather. 
Then Tobin and I spent a very special day at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. I haven't been there since I was a kid so hardly remembered all the fun stuff to do. Matt and I finished off the day with dinner and a movie which is something we haven't done in who knows how long. It was a fantastic day! Here's some pictures of Tobin enjoying the museum:
Last weekend we spent some time at our favorite little creek finding cool rocks and fossils for Matt's classroom and learning to skip rocks. It was the perfect time to try out the new camera I got for my birthday and here's the pictures to prove it:
I'm feeling pretty rotten today with a sinus infection so I don't feel like writing much else about the week. I asked Matt if I could call in a substitute this morning then remembered that you don't get substitutes or fill-in's as a stay-at-home mom. Tough break.
This was after some delicious blue cotton candy Maggie Moo's ice cream. If you haven't had it before...you're seriously missing out.
When we got back, we started our Halloween fun. First we did our Mr. Potato head Pumpkin:
Then we went to Boo at the Zoo in Fort Worth. This was such a fun night! There was trick or treating all around the zoo, we had a picnic dinner with the giraffe's (which was perfect since Tobin was a giraffe this year), and played all kinds of carnival games. They had special animals out of their cages and impressive pumpkin patches. It was a great way to enjoy Halloween:
And finally, we went trick or treating on Friday around our neighborhood then had dinner with my parents:
Last night was Matt's last volleyball game of the season. His team had 7 wins and 3 loses which, in my opinion, is awesome considering it's his first year coaching! It was a gift for me to watch Matt do one of his many jobs at school. Since I can't see him in the classroom as a teacher, it was so neat for me to see how he interacted with his players as a coach. I especially loved watching him during the time-outs of the game. I could see how he commanded the girls attention, then have them laughing and smiling before going back out to play. This told me that he got the girls to take the game seriously, but to have fun at the same time. It gave me a glimpse of what a gifted teacher he must be in the classroom...having fun with science AND getting the kids to learn at the same time. I can't even imagine how hard this must be at the high school level!
This is Tobin's best friend, Noah. They are inseparable when they're together. They are in the same class at church and always do their own thing at playgroup. I love that at this age they can pick up friendships that "stick"...it's adorable! 
A couple of months ago, Tobin would not have attempted such a daring feat of climbing this huge bounce house slide and coming down. Lately, he's turned a corner and has become so brave and determined! I couldn't get him to step away from this thing!
