Time Out Just Got One Minute Longer...

In other words, Kai is three!

That belly, that hair, those eyes, those legs, that squeal, that look. Kai has Three perfected. I mean, just look at him.

He's one big bundle of Little Kid. He doesn't want me to push his tricycle up the curb, but he wants me to carry him up the stairs please, and thank you very much. He doesn't want to go to bed, but three hours later he crawls in to my bed. He doesn't want to take a nap, but he will if I lay down with him. He'll eat blueberries (frozen) and pears and maybe peas. He opens up his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and licks all the good stuff out. He wants to go to school without me. He pushes the kitchen chairs into the kitchen, crawls onto the counter top, opens the cupboard door, pulls out the cereal box and pours himself a bowl without spilling it - while I'm in the shower. Some of these things I could do without.

In the last couple of months Kai's language has exploded and every time he speaks to me I give a silent cheer. He speaks in full sentences, two or three or four in a row and it's thrilling to finally know what he wants and what he thinks and where he wants to go. Usually he wants to go to his friends' houses, his grandparents' houses, McDonald's, or home.

Kai is taking a gymnastics class with Jett. It's his first class without me. I park right outside the building and I let Jett and Kai run in with the other families while I pay the parking meter. When I get in the building, 2 minutes later, they both have their shoes off and stored neatly under a chair and Jett is usually in the process of helping Kai get his coat off. When their instructor opens the door for class Kai runs in after Jett without a glance back at me.

For his birthday he requested dinner at McDonald's with his friend JP.

He still does his fair share of waiting for and watching Jett. He sat in my lap for an hour once a week, watching Jett learn how to swim. Jett sat on the side of the pool and kicked his legs, while Kai sat in my lap and did the same. Jett moved his arms in circles along side his body, and Kai did the same. It was awfully cute. Kai is awfully cute.

He plays with the big kids. When Jett gets out of school and his preschool class runs to the playground, Kai does too. Sometimes the preschoolers make Kai the "monster" and pretend he's chasing them, which he is. Kai loves it. Sometimes he pushes the preschoolers (in play) and sometimes they push him back (gently so far) and he laughs and laughs.

Kai laughs and laughs and laughs. He sneaks a treat and giggles. He runs, screaching, out the door instead of waiting. He pulls his diaper off and collapses with belly laughs. He splashes me from the tub and guffaws.

He likes to snuggle by holding my face in his hands. He still likes to sleep with his arm around my neck. Sometimes he falls asleep after we drop Jett off at preschool and he'll stay asleep when I transfer him up three flight of stairs and in to bed, then 2 hours later he continues to sleep while I transfer him back to the car, into the school, and out on the playground. He'll stay sleeping in my arms, his head on my shoulder. Holding him hurts my back and ruins his bedtime but that kid is heaven in my arms.

His favorite song is "I've Got a Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas and he walks around the house, sits in the grocery cart, sits in the bath singing, "Tonights gonna be a good, good niiiight."

Dancing at music center in Jett's preschool classroom on Sibling Day.

He likes to spit. He's started biting. He won't stay in time out. He whines and whines and whines. But he's started doing Jett's old puzzles, and he sits by himself and looks at books and builds block towers that he is so proud of. He walked around all week singing "Happy Birthday to Kai-eye-eye." Best of all he treats his brother like his best friend.

Here is Kai on his birthday. Jett is showing him how to open his new Batman water bottle. He's wearing his new Spiderman shirt. Spiderman is his favorite super hero. He requested a "Spiderman Birthday Party". We didn't throw him a party, but nearly every present he got had Spiderman on it. He loved it!

He's full-on three and we love every bit of him. Happy Birthday, Kai. We love you!