you're 3. and you're amazing.

my little birthday buddy. you amaze me everyday.
your little sayings. your smiles. your little personality that isn't so little anymore.
it's wonderful and delightful.
you are ever charming and adventurous in your own way.
each day with you is full of smiles, and laughter and dive bomb jumping competitions.
you love all snacks. popcorn. cheese curls. doritos. ice cream. cupcakes. cookies of all kinds. starbursts. green lollypops. oreos.
if it is sweet or salty or unhealthy, you love it.
oh, and you love raspberries and blueberries and strawberries and grapes and yogart sleeves.
it takes you and hour to finish your dinner, but only 3 seconds flat to down a bowl of cheetos.

you're not a fan of being cold...and sledding isn't your favorite activity. you don't like cheese, and you start gagging if you see food stuck on the side of someone else's face.

you love sand and mud and running full tilt down a sloping hill. you love tire swings and lightening bugs and petting kitties.

you don't like realizing your hands are covered in sand or mud and you usually fall flat out on your face when you run full tilt...often because you are constantly running whilst looking backwards at me with a cheecky grin :)

you almost always forget to say the "s" at the start of a word. we often talk like you because we think it's so cute. my favorites are "nake" and "nack" and "now" and "leep" and "pecial" (just add an s and they make sense :)

you are quick to hug and snuggle.
quick to giggle and give an over the shoulder flashy smile.
you are always quick to freak out if/when your brother does a sneak attack and steals one of your toys.
you have been known to wake up from your naps quite grumpy...but i must say, i love that i'm the one who can sooth you. i love our long moments of hugs, with your lovie on my shoulder, and your arm around my neck. you tell me often " i love you soooo much mommy."

you and foster love to play with your buddies and stuffed animals. you gather them all up with your blankets and often pretend you are going to china to adopt them all. you carry them ever so sweetly and feed them and play with them and wrap them in blankets and help them fall asleep. you kiss them and bring them toys and treats. they are always your sister. you and foster rotate being the big brother or the daddy or the uncle. you and foster were meant to love your sweet sister...because you already do. you don't even need to meet her to love her. you have both caught the fire that is the love of adoption...it is so beautiful to watch it happening right before my eyes. adoption isn't just for the child who is being adopted...clint and i aren't the only ones who are adopting...you are adopting as well...and you do it effortlessly. i'm awed and amazed by your unconditional, unquestioning love. it's breathtaking.

you feel deep empathy for anyone in pain. you learn songs with extreme quickness and you memorize in a flash. you love music and balls and cars and animals. your lovie is still the ultimate companion for you in new situations, or when falling asleep, or playing, or riding in the car, or playing trains, or making a snow fort, or high jumping off of the bed...at all times, your lovie is with you. i dread the day that i would loose it, or we would leave it somewhere. if you could take it in the bath, you would. if you could surgically attach it to your head and wear lovie head all day long, you would.
you don't forget anything. you memorize the names and faces of people you've only met once. you recall information about them months later. it's amazing.
your brain moves much faster than your mouth will allow. you often have so much to say, that "um, um, um, um, um, um, um...." is all that will come out...and you make the most precious "clicking" noise with your mouth as you gather you thoughts. i always try to catch it on video, but your candid moments are always at the most adorable times, and somehow i am never camera ready. i fear one day you'll stop doing it, and i'll miss your precious "um's" and "clicks" terribly.

you are an amazing brother. you and foster are ever companions. compadres. friends. you sing and giggle and tickle and wrestle. you argue and forgive and argue and forgive. you hug and share and follow and lead. you speak with kindness, and pretend to be doctors and helicopter drivers and train engineers and sailors and rock climbers and adventurous thrill seekers. i love hiding and listening to your play. i am so thankful you are so close in age...the 18 month separation is closing in quickly...the gap isn't so large these days. you're best buddies and miss each other terribly when you are apart.

you love telling me secrets. you love whispering close in my ear. you hold my face ever so tenderly and whisper softly. you are finally able to be without me or daddy when you are at church or at our thursday morning school. it took nearly 2.5 years, but you are becoming more and more confident in who you are, and knowing we will come back for you. after any length of absence, i am greeted with a high-flying-mid-air leaping hug, kiss, and "mommy i miss you!"

you are a boy full of life. flirty and quiet. loud LOUD and L O U D. we always call you the charmer, because you can make anyone smile. even grumpy old ladies at the grocery store, or teenage girls that you flirt effortlessly with.
you make my life a delight. i cherish my moments with you all day long.
thank you for being my amazing rowie-doeski.
i love you more than the blog world could ever express...so i'll tell you everyday, all day...even when you are sleeping at night, i whisper it before i go to bed...i love you, i love you, i love you.