kale's 3rd birthday {part 1}

I don't know what it is, but I always do a pretty terrible job at capturing Kale's birthday's on this blog. May is generally a crazy month for us, so I think that, in general, I have a hard time keeping up with blogging. But Kale had a great birthday this year and considering my memory is fairly non-existant, I think I owe him a recap that he can look back on one day. 

The thing is, when you turn 3 (or 5 or 8 or 10), birthday's are a pretty big deal and everyone wants to celebrate them with you. And when your birthday falls on a Tuesday, your birthDAY suddenly becomes birthWEEK just so everyone can get a chance to see you blow out the candles. For Kale, things started on Saturday when Kris's family - including grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts and cousins - all came together at Kris's parents house.

Kale is pretty stoked about birthday's lately. We've been to a few birthday parties in the last couple of months and so he was really excited that it was his turn for cake and presents and endless attention. When we walked into the party, Kale was happy to see everyone and the decorations, but then looked at me with the saddest eyes and a pouty lip. At first I thought he was a bit overwhelmed, but when I crouched down to hug him, I heard him ask, "but where are my presents?" You gotta love kids honesty...

Of course there were lots of presents and Kale was thrilled with all the trucks and a new soccer outfit and the crab sandbox and all the art supplies - but the real winner was the cash register from his cousin Kelsea. 

After the presents we had an awesome dinner and cake. His face when we were singing 'happy birthday' was the absolute sweetest. He was so obviously happy to have his family there and to have all their attention focused on him. 

As the sun started to dip, I realized that we'd made plans to capture a family picture that replicated one we took on his fist birthday. We all ran outside before we lost the light and as I set up the camera, Kris got everyone in place and we very quickly snapped the shot. 

From his first birthday! 

We snapped a few more family shots that I'll share in a different post and then it was all about chasing bubbles and beging silly into the air cooled and the sun set. 

It was, by every measure possible, a very good birthday. 

currently {link up}

THE DEAL: 

Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what you're "currently" up to! 

Be sure to visit the other blogger's that are linking up and say hello - especially to my amazing co-host Lindsey at Ot & Et. 

THIS WEEKS THEMES:

hoping, reading, wearing, making, planning 

Kale is currently... 

Hoping that the flu he has ends really soon. Kale decided to wake me on my birthday by vomiting all over me in bed at midnight. I spent my birthday cuddled up on the couch with him, a puke bowl, and an endless cycle of Bob the Builder and Phineus & Ferb episodes. We thought he was doing better today, but then he decided to give his grandparents a live-action replay and puked all over his nana in her bed before his nap. At least it wasn't her birthday. 

Reading books about bugs and dinosaurs and crocodiles. I love when Kale sees something in a book and asks, "we don't like spiders, do we mama?" and I'll say, "I don't know. Do we?" and he says, "no, we don't." You know how babies start figuring out they're separate from their mothers around 6 months or so? Sometimes I wonder if Kale skipped that milestone.

Wearing shorts one day and a winter coat the next. After an amazing week of weather, we were greeted with hail and snow and sleet on Sunday and below freezing temperatures on Monday. 

Making me melt. Nothing is more sad than a sick child and when Kale looks at me with his feverish cheeks and sad, sick eyes and says "Can you come and snuggle with me, mama?" I MELT. 

Planning to visit an "awesome park that Papa saw on his bike" this weekend. I love when Kale repeats things we tell him, four days later. His memory always shocks me and I always get a giggle when he says words like "awesome." 

I am currently...

Hoping that I do not pick up whatever Kale has been putting down in the virus department. 

Reading stories and articles on Long Reads and Narratively. I can't seem to make myself stick with a book these days, but enjoy reading a short story or longer piece of journalism before I call it a night. If you're looking for a good read, and you smuggled a copy of KIDS past your parents in 1995 and had your mind blown, then I suggest you have your mind blown all over again with this - Legends Never Die. 

Wearing the worst lounge clothes imaginable. I change out of my work clothes approximately 4 seconds after I get home and I get into my "cozies" - which consist of yoga pants or leggings and t-shirts that I've had since before KIDS was released. Spending money on "cozies" has always seemed ridiculous, but I think it's time I invest in some "after work" clothes that I wouldn't be embarrassed to at least answer the door in. 

Making a button snake! 

Planning to have a good long weekend. The weather is supposed to be decent, we've got new friends coming over for a BBQ, an awesome park to go check out, and I've got some work to do on my second "project of the month." 

NEXT WEEKS THEMES: 

EATING, LOVING, MISSING, MOVING, TAKING

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.harvestingkale.com" title="HK"><img src="http://i46.tinypic.com/28hzgxy.gif" alt="HK" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

a montessori activity: button snake

Kale, like many toddlers, is a child of extremes. When it comes to getting dressed, he either wants to do it "all by myself" or NOT.AT.ALL. - with absolutely nothing in between. Of course, he only wants to do it himself when we're running behind and I've laid out a shirt with forty small buttons. And although it turns my hair gray (literally), I'm keen to do what I can to support his independence - even if it means I have to get crafty.... 

This is pretty easy to put together. Cut up some felt (or fabric or old clothes - whatever), sew a button on the end of a ribbon and you've got everything you need for a button snake. I sewed a smalled loop at the end of the ribbon so Kale could put it on his wrist and keep the fabric from coming off the end. 

See the face on the left? The chin tucked down, the bottom lip sticking out? This is Kale's concentration face. We can always tell when Kale is focusing really hard on something because he makes this face every time. It's pretty adorable and always makes me smile. 

Linking up with Living Montessori Now for Montessori Monday. 

currently {link up}

THE DEAL: 

Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what you're "currently" up to! 

Be sure to visit the other blogger's that are linking up and say hello - especially to my amazing co-host Lindsey at Ot & Et. 

THIS WEEKS THEMES:

LEARNING, GATHERING, GIVING, WORKING, PLAYING

Kale is currently....

Learning everything about bugs. Bugs are a huge deal these days for Kale and he spends the better part of his waking hours looking for them. For his birthday I bought him a book about bugs and he's completely fascinated. We've been reading about how they live, what they like to eat, and where to keep them. I'm not big on bugs, but I'm trying to embrace their awesomeness for Kale's sake. 

Gathering all of the money! Kris's cousin Kelsea bought Kale a toy cash register for his birthday, winning the award for best birthday gift ever. Even though the register comes with toy money, Kale feels the need to gather all of the change he sees to put into his register. This includes raiding my parking fund in the car. Have you ever been stuck in a parking lot without any money to pay the exit fee? It's the worst. 

Working us like a boss! We went to Great Wolf Lodge for his birthday and spent some time wandering around Niagara Falls. It was loads of fun - but EXHAUSTING. 

Playing with baby chickens! I swear, we live in the backyard chicken capital of the world. We would love to have our own, but have a small backyard and so we get our chicken fill by visiting our neighbours. Friends of ours recently got some baby chickens and Kris and Kale went to visit them tonight. How cute is this picture? 

I am currently.....

Learning about bugs - slugs, spiders, ants, and worms. I used to worry that I wouldn't know enough about the stuff Kale was interested in, but now I realize that we can just learn together. I'm sure that won't always be the case, but for now I'm loving the opportunity to discover Kale's passions alongside him - even if it means digging for worms and holding spiders. 

Gathering idea's for what to do with Kale this summer. Since goes to a Montessori school, they follow a school schedule and offer classes from September to June. This means finding something for him for two months in the summer, which is a bit of a challenge. This year he's old enough to go to summer camps that the city offers and other organizations (they tend to start around 3 years of age), but I'm still on the fence about where to send him. I guess this is why so many of Kale's classmates parents are teachers - it's the perfect child care arrangement for their work schedules! 

Playing outside! Spring has FINALLY arrived and the weather has been absolutely perfect for the last week. We've been at the park almost every night, eating our meals outside, and sneaking in a few walks to school. I'm sooooo looking forward to this summer! 

NEXT WEEKS THEMES: 

HOPING, READING, WEARING, MAKING, PLANNING 

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.harvestingkale.com" title="HK"><img src="http://i46.tinypic.com/28hzgxy.gif" alt="HK" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

3.

And then he was three.