Young, Wild, and THREE!

 My little man, my sweet Hank Grayson, is THREE! I cannot believe it's been 3 years but in so many ways I cannot remember life before I became Hank's mom. The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew life would never be the same. My world instantly filled with color. Hank is, in a word, JOY. He loves big and finds happiness in even the most simple of things or experiences. 

 Hank loves to chat and is very observant. He remembers tiny details and makes connections. We were playing Don't Break The Ice recently and he said, "Mom, I know you like pink, but since there's not a pink hammer, do you think you'd like purple?" He's friendly, kind, and full of spunk and hilarity. He always says, unprompted, "I love my life." I mean, have you ever heard a toddler say that??? He gets very excited for things that matter to him and his energy is contagious.

 I pray everyday Hank never loses his zest for life and care for others. These are two traits that emerged very early on with him and to me, are 2 of life's most important features: appreciate what you have and love others well. I mean, that's all there is, right?!  Here's some things Hank loves:

-his blue bunny named Zoe from Arctic Circle
-Paw Patrol
-Daniel Tiger
-dance parties (Baby Yoda and Chicken Nugget Dreamland are his jams) 
-going SO fast on his wiggle bike in the basement
-Spiderman and pretending to shoot out a web

-stacking toys to make an obstacle course "playground" 
-"Buzz and Woody" 
-tight squeezes (hugs)

-baking with mom
-reading a bible story before bed every night with mommy 
-daddy rubbing his back before bed
-morning milk time watching a show (9 out of 10 times he's naked. He would be naked all day every day if we let him, lol)
-Grandma/Grandpa from the Wasatch (that's what he calls my parents)
-Grandma/Grandpa at the bunny house (AJ's parents, who have a bunny that hangs out in their yard)
-vanilla steamers and banana bread from Starbucks
-ABC Mouse

-basketball 
-School (he calls it "su-ell") 
-Writing/drawing with pens
-pacis (yes, we are still in a love affair with the pacis. He only has it for sleep and winding down with milk at night) 
-Trolls World Tour

-Aunt Libby and Uncle Matt 

-the moon (grandpa in Oregon is teaching him the official names of the phases. I got schooled the other day and was informed it was a waxing moon. Umm what? Lol). 
-lights/inflatables/holiday decorations
-doing "side eye" and "Zen Hank" and making us crack up
-Chicken nuggets and "dip" (sweet and sour sauce/ketchup)
-ice cream

-SOCCER!

-his teachers

To see Hank through the years, click HERE

To celebrate, I ordered a Toy Story cake for a little family treat and we will open gifts in the evening. I am hoping it'll be safe to gather this summer and he can have a little half birthday. He's begging for a bounce house/backyard pool party.....fingers crossed! And now, I can't help myself, here are some pictures of my Lovebug. Happy Birthday, Hankers. You are pure JOY! 

Hank's 2nd Bouncing Birthday Bash

Today's post is all about Hank's 2nd Birthday party....we had a bouncy ball themed bash at The Little Gym. It was a ball! I love throwing birthday parties and gathering with friends and family. You can read about Hank's 1st Lumberjack Party HERE.

This year we wanted to do a party where the kiddos could actually play. A bunch of toddlers with nothing to do is a recipe for disaster so we decided to head back to The Little Gym! Hank started going to The Little Gym when he was just 6 months old and we stopped going last spring when the class schedule didn't work out, but we loved our time there. In fact, the best part of it was that we met 3 of our favorite toddler friends and their mamas there.

I ordered the invites, water bottle labels, and party favor tags from an Etsy stationary shop. I also ordered his t-shirt from Etsy. As far a decor went, it was super simple. Little Gym provided the birthday sign, table cloths, paper goods, etc. I picked up a felt ball garland at a craft fair this fall and added that to the table.

The cake was made by April's Cakery. April was recommended to me by a parent at my school and I was so glad we got in touch. I sent her some pics and she made an adorable cake for us. She even had colored dots baked right into the inside of the cake. It turned out so fun and was delicious. 

When everyone was singing Happy Birthday to Hank I was just so happy for our little guy. He is so loved by incredible friends and wonderful family. I know so deeply in my heart that birthdays are a blessing. Not every child gets to experience another year so getting to be Hank's mommy is so worth celebrating. I don't take it for granted. His birthday celebration was such a sweet reminder of that truth. 

Happy Birthday, Hank! It's a ball bouncing into the 2's!! 

Savor Your Sparkle,

Leslie 

Terrifically 2!

Tomorrow my sweet love bug Hank Grayson is 2 years old. I can hardly believe it! These past 2 years have been delightful. To say AJ and I love being parents is an understatement. Hank is the light of our lives and we are so thankful to those who love him well. He is one blessed and loved little man. I've been super nostalgic lately about those early days when he was born and when we got home from the hospital. Those were sweet and beautiful days that I think of so fondly. I decided to write a letter to Hank on his 2nd birthday. 

Dear Hank,
   You are 2. In fact, you are SO two. Daddy and I comment all the time that you are no longer a tiny baby---you are a big boy, a toddler, a kid! Sometimes mommy misses when you were itty bitty and fit just comfortably in my arms. But whenever I get nostalgic, you bring me right back to the current moment by asking me to come in close for a kiss, then "booping" my nose and you laugh your full laugh, head back, front teeth showing, and I think nope, this phase is so special and perfect. I love your laugh so much and in fact, you seem to like your laugh too. You often comment (even sometimes after doing something slightly naughty) that "I'm funny." Yeah, you are, buddy.

   One of the things that I love so much about you is how you love and appreciate nature. You take the time to go "snail hunting" (you love observing them after a big rain) and to study a flower. When mommy rushes to the mailbox, you walk slowly, looking at the clouds, the sky, the wreaths, the cracks in the sidewalk. Just as you marvel at the world around you, mommy marvels at YOU. You teach me how to, quite literally, stop and smell the roses.

   It's been so fun observing how your interests have developed. You light up when you see the Pixar logo and Paw Patrol is a major favorite around here. You have an affinity for music and ever since you were tiny, you've loved listening to daddy play the guitar at night. You've recently taken to banging silverware on the table and announcing "I'm making muuuzik." You love "mac," fries, applesauce, and milk. You've become such a big guy lately and you learned to drink from a real cup at school! Speaking of school, you delight in telling us all about your school friends and teachers. They adore you. I think the transition to child care was more challenging for me than you. Sometimes after I sign you in, I peek back into your classroom to see you and you're just happy as can be. It's hard to leave my heart (you!) but I rest easy knowing you are making friends and learning new things.

  It might seem strange to say to a 2 year old, but Hank, I love your heart. You are kind and caring. You say "sorry" and give hugs. You get sad when others are sad. You pay attention to others and are carefully observant to the world around you. I hope and pray that you never lose your fierce attentiveness to others. You get excited when you see police cars of fire trucks and point out to us that "they're helping." You love to help, too (even if it's sweeping when mommy is trying to sweep) and cleaning up. You are a love bug, through and through.

You know what you want, like, and think and will not allow anyone to let you think otherwise. In fact, just the other day, I pointed to a cat in a book and you insisted it was NOT a cat. When I finally gave up and asked you, "What is it then?" You responded calmly, "a kitty." Oh sweet Hank, I love that you are not timid and are comfortable telling mommy and daddy what you need. Even if mommy and daddy's opinion of "need" differs from yours (like playing outside without a coat or having a third serving of fruit snacks).

Hank, I loved you before I met you, but I also love you more each and every day. These 2 years have been incredible. But you know what? I'm so excited to see what's in store for you. I love having a front row seat to your life story.

Happy Birthday, Hankers.
Love,
Mommy

Life Lately and Birthday Fun!

Hey there! It's been a minute since I've blogged! I've been: chasing around my toddler (How is he so big now?!), turning 32, herding cats in 1st grade and teaching them to read while I herd, going through spring parent/teacher conferences, working on my math endorsement, praying for spring, trying to hit the gym, getting together with friends, reading, listening to podcasts, watching The Bachelor, cooking, dating my hubby, and tidying after said toddler. But through it all, I've missed writing in this little blog space. So here I am! I have lots of pictures for ya'll!!

 My parents babysat for us last Saturday and we went to dinner at one of our fave spots (The Bohemian) and went to a Jazz game! The Jazz tickets were a Christmas gift from my parents. It was a great game and we had a good time!

I went to "Shark Tank Yoga" at the Aquarium this past week. It was so wonderful! 

I ventured into Ikea last week for a few things and we redid our bedding. I love the spring refresh! I popped some popcorn, poured myself a diet coke, and watched Crazy Rich Asians in bed last weekend. It was a heavenly 90 minutes. 

Speaking of movies, Hank and I watched Peter Rabbit TWICE this past weekend. I absolutely loved it. So cute! I had the past 2 Fridays off and while Parent teacher conferences make for long days, they went well, and it's nice touching base with families, and getting a nice breather when they're done! 

I am so wishing for spring. In fact, last week we made a warm weather dinner of  BBQ chicken and pasta salad. Here up, summer! There was an hour or so of gorgeous sunshine on Saturday and we hurried out for a family walk. Hank is obsessed with swings (he will find a picture of them in one of his book and points at it and gestures wildly) so we got to go out for a bit. 

Since my birthday was Monday, I hit up the spa on Saturday morning for a massage and facial and it was delightful! Then I went and did some shopping for Hank and just knew I had to get my little dude this shirt. Hank is all. about. cheese. Haha! 

I did some major tidying up this weekend and space bagged Hank's too small clothes, and organized closets and drawers. Yay for simplifying! Although, I had to laugh because on this "get rid of it" spree, Hank and I went into Michael's and he was obsessed with this light up baton. We bought it. There's only so much tidying up you can do as a parent, right?!

I had a wonderful birthday thanks to the love of family and friends. We had a fun family dinner followed by Crumbl cookies, presents, and watching Bachelor Colton breaking down crying. Good times. 

Look for a Hank 15th month update, a book post, and some more blog fun coming up. Thanks for reading!

Savor Your Sparkle,

Leslie