So, no outfit post today. I had pictures, but wasn’t happy with them and so we’ll try again next week. Yesterday was Oliver’s third birthday and let me tell you, it was quite a whirlwind of ups and downs. We started the day with a birthday donut at the playground. Because neither of these boys ever eats donuts, it was quite a treat.
And then Oliver pooped his pants. Twice.
We returned home from the playground with a crying Milo (who was NOT ready to leave) and a frustrated Emil (who was NOT ready to leave) and a three-year-old stuffed into his little brother’s size 3 diaper who was, wait for it… NOT READY TO LEEEEEEEEAAAAAVE!!!
I don’t know how long it’s been since Oliver has had this kind of accident. So I was clearly unprepared. But you know. Life goes on.
Oliver dictated the day’s events which unsurprisingly consisted of a lot of play house playing, book-reading, rocket ship-building, and some alone time. Then our nanny Elisa came over and brought presents (!) for both boys. Seriously, guys. She’s the coolest. She brought gummy letters for Oliver and challenged him to spell out his name:
Concentrating…
… He did it!
And Elisa took the big boys to the playground while Emil napped upstairs and Andrew made the cake while I made dinner. It was surprisingly peaceful and quiet as the two of us whooshed around each other in the kitchen, busy leaning over pots and mixers and dodging each other with hot cakes and dishes.
Then, the main event:
Rocket ship cake! (Alright, I decorated it)
But there was real smoke coming out of the back of that bad boy!
One for me… one for my lap… one for me…
The look on his face when he opened his much-desired Plan Toys tool belt (this one’s for you, Brendan! Thanks for playing along!)
Emil brought his baby to the party– go ahead, try to take that baby away from him and see what happens…
He’s going for the I’m-a-hipster-but-not-trying-too-hard look.
Another awesome gift from Grandma– two lanterns for the boys to light the inside or outside of their play house.
And the birthday blues? Well, Oliver certainly didn’t have them. Nope. Milo did. He was so so excited and jealous all at the same time. I honestly thought that having Milo’s birthday right around the corner (Sept. 4) would make all these other birthdays easier, but I think it’s actually harder for him. And despite being included (Elisa brought him a balloon-fueled race car AND gummy letters, plus he got to open his lantern present early), Milo still had a total meltdown after dinner. I think he was exhausted, but also is so used to being the center of attention. Such a hard lesson to learn, but such a necessary one. How do you handle sibling jealousy around birthday times? I remember being insanely jealous of my brother and sister around b-day time when I was a kid!
I used to dread the kids’ birthdays for that reason alone. So much drama and angst over someone else getting something you are not. The good news is that this will go away in a few years. Really. The bad news is that there isn’t a lot you can do to alleviate it or speed it up. You did everything you could with a few extras for the non-birthday boy. They just have to suffer through it until they grow up a bit. Which, of course, means you get to suffer through it as well.
Good luck!
Love that cake! I didn’t have siblings growing up but I remember being a bit envious of my cousin’s lavish parties and my best friend was my next door neighbor and I was always jealous with her, whether it be a play date that I wasn’t included in or a birthday. I’m sure it’s much more complex with actual brothers but it is a great lesson.
All these birthdays in a row will keep you guys very busy! You always make it so fun.
The cake looks great! And I really like the idea of donuts at the park. I can do that at my birthday, right?
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Well, I certainly poop my pants twice after every birthday donut. So no biggie.
So, here are some thoughts:
a) The smoking rocket ship cake was such a cool idea. He looked really happy about it!
b) I like how Oliver’s hair is all side swept while he’s eating cake. The dude had to get down to business on that cake, so he had to move the hair over.
c) Did you get Emil’s baby from Target? I think we have a similar one. Her name is Bianca (Julian named her. He’s crazy) and her face is nutty. Like, she looks like she’s from the deep South and says “li-beary.”
d) Those lanterns are rad and really tie that cabin look together. Nicely done.
Oh what a day it seemed to be – I’ve been learning since becoming a mother that just because it’s a ‘special’ day doesn’t mean that the regular sh*% won’t happen. 😉 Birthday jealousy can be rough but since we only have twins it cuts down on that a bit.
Cake always makes things better in my opinion – and I sure do love the one you made!
Happy Belated Birthday, Oliver!
xo
cortnie