This post is long overdue. Your third birthday was over a year ago now and I’m just now finding time to write about it. Though late, Arco, you’re still our favorite three-year-old: charming, sensitive, inspiring and creative, self-driven and independent, happy, loving and genuine.
This last year, you’ve grown into a young lad – your interests have evolved and your desire to learn has grown exponentially. You’re a story-teller at heart, you love to discover ‘how things work’, and you adore thematic holidays. Creating cozy beds and nests, having one-too-many stuffed buddies, and the soft glow of twinkle lights are a few of your favorite things.
You love snacks and you could graze on your meals all day long. You’re growing independence at three is admirable (and scary). You love hanging out with your friends from school, riding your pedal machine without training wheels, reading – always reading, and helping us with odds and ends. Your favorite tasks are mostly outdoor ones – watering the trees and flowers, splitting and stacking wood with Poppa, tinkering in the truck, tree work and lawn care, and building fires. I do love that you love the kitchen scene: cooking, mixing and baking. I plan to hold onto and support this interest for as long as I can.
You still adore Ramey and often proclaim that he’s your best friend. He loves and certainly can’t get enough of you. Though you two don’t always play nice, you are a constant bright light in his world. You look out for him, or ‘protect him’, as you call it, take care of him, and on occasion, I see you sneaking him sweet hugs and kisses.
We’re all learning and growing from you too. You’re an inspiration and beautiful treasure in our world. We’re baffled by where the time has gone – how are you already three years old (and due to my tardiness in writing this post, four)?!
We celebrated your third birthday hard – enough imaginary play and outdoor adventures to keep my cup full for months. There was also enough cake to feed a village.
You were specific in your cake request: “Mama, I want a cocoa berry cake”. Two cocoa cake layers, fresh and frozen berries, and a creamy top and middle later, we were celebrating you and the ever-so-sweet lad that you are! You’re our treasure, our bold and bright ray, our fun and silly lad.
We’re all about YOU and we’re so grateful to call you our boy. Happy and bright birthday, Arco bear!
Thanks for sharing your joy and sweet, beautiful family.
Perhaps just a little tardy, but so amazing to see the changes in the past year! He truly has become a handsome, curious, funny, adventurous young lad – and Nana loves him – and all of you – so so much!!!
Happy now fourth birthday Arco. You seem like such a rad little dude, but of course you are coming from your amazing parents. So fun to see some of your adventures and personality in these photos and stories.