Happy Third (or First...or Seventh) Birthday, Juan Pablo!

Our little man is now officially three years old. Although if you ask him, depending on his mood, he will either be one or seven. When he feels the need to be babied, just like his baby sister, he is one. But he has also discovered that at times it is more convenient to be big and be seven. It can be hard to predict which age he will want to be at any given moment, but one thing is for sure: it is rarely three.

Despite this fact, we did have a great time celebrating Juan Pablo's third birthday. My grandparents came to visit all the way from Monterrey, Mexico the week before Juan Pablo's birthday, so having them around made it feel like the festivities began early. We were so happy to be able to spend time with them. We had not seen them since our wedding nearly four years ago, and so obviously they had not yet met either of the kids. Both kids enjoyed the love and attention from their great-grandparents.
Tio Sebas was also able to fly in from Boston that week to join us and meet Ana Luisa, or "La Petite", as he calls her, and as Juan Pablo has now taken to calling her. She liked him. A lot.
We had Juan Pablo's birthday party on Friday, August 6th. It was a couple days early, but we wanted Tio Sebas to be able to come before flying back out to Boston Sunday morning. Juan Pablo's buddies Gabriel and Gianna were able to join in the fun too. We of course had a pinata, which was less tragic than last years (thankfully), though still just as entertaining. Each child had a very different approach to hitting the pinata. We had a long stick, and a short stick, and Juan Pablo opted to just whack the pinata as many times as he could and as hard as he could with the short stick...quick and easy. Gabriel chose the long stick, and took a very calculated approach, measuring the distance to the pinata, taking very careful aim. Gianna is quite a bit younger than the other two, so she just sort of whacked the pinata once, then stood there sort of confused watching us cheer her on and wondering what to do next. So cute.
After collecting the candy, we had a pizza dinner, followed by cake and ice cream. When I asked Juan Pablo what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted a strawberry cake with elephants marching on it. I tried my best (there were strawberries inside).
Juan Pablo got a lot of really fun gifts this year, but the sandbox that Jeff built for him in the backyard was definitely the biggest hit. Even Ana Luisa got right in and got covered in sand. We now have sand all over our backyard and house, but that's what sandboxes are for, right? We know this gift will be enjoyed for many years to come.
The next day, Saturday, we went to our friends Lisa and Ben's wedding. We are so happy for Lisa and Ben- they are a really amazing couple, and know how to throw a great party. And although the party wasn't for him, Juan Pablo still pretty much felt like it was. Great food, great fun, great music...he was one happy boy.
Ana Luisa really got into clinking the glasses...I'm pretty sure that a couple times she was the one who STARTED the glass clinking for the couple to kiss. Already such a little romantic.
After a busy weekend and late Saturday night, we decided to take it easy on Sunday, the day of Juan Pablo's actual birthday. We started the day with Mass, followed by a Kerrytown Sweetwaters date.
The kids both looked super cute all dressed up in the Sunday outfits. There happened to be a concert going on in the courtyard, which was so much fun. Both kids had a great time clapping, singing along, and dancing to the music. It was a very fun, relaxing family morning.
After naps that afternoon we set up Juan Pablo's new water slide. The kids aren't old enough to figure out how to slide down on their own yet, but the sprinkler on the side was a huge hit.
And it turns out, that with a little push from dad, they could actually slide down too!
We had a picnic, and more cake and ice cream in the backyard, and then closed out the evening with a family movie night. Juan Pablo's movie of choice? Baby Noah: Animal Expedition.
I love how Juan Pablo can be so big and so little all at the same time. Sometimes he seems so grown up, in the things that he says, the expressions he uses, and the observations he makes. He is very smart, and is learning so much every day. At the same time though, he really is still our baby. He loves to snuggle, especially at night, he loves to be held when he first wakes up from his nap, and still wants us close all the time. He is incredibly loving towards his little sister, his friends, and his family. He has enormous amounts of energy and a great imagination, and is always running somewhere, thinking of something new to do or to try. We love him so much, and are excited to see what great things being three (or one, or seven) holds for him!