Happy birthday with cousins

By Gibson tradition, once a month (or every few months) we sing happy birthday to each child who has had a birthday since we last did it. Then we all hd e cake and ice cream. Today it was Austin's turn.

Happy Birthday Austin!

Austin is such a fun little boy to have as a part of my family.  Its interesting as a mom to see how each child brings such joy to me!  You think that with each one that you just couldn't be happier, and yet as you welcome each child into your home, you are just filled with so much more joy that you didn't even know you were missing!  Just looking at these pictures makes me burst with love for this sweet little boy.  I really can't imagine our home without him.

So, this cute, sweet boy turned 3 in September!  What a fun celebration we had for him.  He wanted his theme to be dinosaurs, so we had fun decorating the house with dinosaurs from our collection.   Here he is first thing in the morning.  He was so excited for it to be his birthday!  We enjoyed a fabulous breakfast of Fruity Pebbles and Lucky Charms.

Austin helped me decorate his cake.  I was planning on only putting two or three dinosaurs on it, but then he just kept putting more on.  It didn't turn out how I planned, but hey, its his birthday, and he loved it!

As I was snapping a few pictures, he started to lean to the side, then lost his balance and put his hand in the cake.  Luckily it wasn't too much of a problem to smooth the spot back over, and fix a few letters.  At first he didn't know what to think, and I thought he might cry.  I helped him to laugh with me about it, then it was all fine.

I love how at this age children are so genuinely excited about each and every present.  They would be happy with one toy from the dollar store.  It makes it all the more fun to spoil them, right?

Austin at three:

• Is so extremely happy.
• Loves to give hugs. I love to see him hug his grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  It makes me smile.
• When he is sad, he will cry, sometimes longer than necessary (you know the fake cry that eventually happens), but then suddenly he will stop and smile and say "Mom, I'm happy!!"  My favorite was when he was throwing a fit at a store in the mall.  I don't remember what he was upset about, but it was a small enough store I left him at the entrance crying on the floor while I made my purchase (I could see him the whole time).  I think the clerk helping me thought I was mean to just ignore him.  But then suddenly he came happy as could be to the back of the store announcing his usual phrase.  The clerk just laughed and couldn't believe it. 
• Loves his brothers and sister.  My favorite is that he refers to Lauren as "my Lauren."  He will tell all sorts of strangers "that's my Lauren."
• Is so susceptible to reverse psychology.  I love that I can tell him "Austin, whatever you do, don't eat ____." He will immediately start giggling and eat it, or do whatever we just told him not to do.  Some of my toddlers haven't reacted well to this, but I love it when it works so well!  
• Is an amazing sharer.  If anyone wants something, all they really need to do is ask nicely, and within a minute or two, usually less, he will just hand it over.  
• Loves to lead music.  Whenever we sing for Family Home Evening, or scripture study, he quickly gets up, and leads the music for us.  
• Loves music in general.  I've never had one who seemed to have such a love of music as such a young age.  He was late at starting to talk, and is still a little bit behind.  I joke that he sang before he spoke, but its not totally a joke.  He really did.  He didn't sing words, and still doesn't really, but he sings the songs usually right on pitch. He loves to sit at the piano and try to play it. There have been a few other things that show that deep love of music, but I can't remember them right now.
• Loves to tease, but is usually pretty good natured about how he does it.  One day he called one of his brothers the wrong name, just to be silly.  When that brother said his right name, he said, "No, you're ____ (another brother's name)."  This went on for quite a while.  
• Is easy going.
• Loves to be big and do things like his brothers.
• Is getting better at talking, but still mispronounces most words.  While I know its not the optimal, I actually find it so cute and endearing.  I know he will eventually grow out of it, so for now I just love the cute way he says everything.  My favorites are no (mo), Dylan (Dyl-Dyl), Jayden (Tay-Tay), Ethan (Ee-Tee), Austin (Au-Tin), Bob the Builder (Bob-be-bi-br-br-br... sometimes he add lots of extra syllables there, sometimes its just right), sit (um... just imagine it with an "h" after the s), smoothie (poopy), abracadabra (I can't think of how he says it, but its just cute).
• Loves to eat frozen fruit, smoothies, yogurt, airplane sandwiches (we have sandwich cutters-they are actually a tie fighter and the millennium falcon - but he just calls them airplanes), strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and raisins.  He's really not to picky and loves so much more, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
• Loves Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, dinosaurs, trains, and airplanes.
• Loves preschool and nursery.

State Fair

We continued our tradition of going to the State Fair. The older boys can fill out a form over the summer for reading and get free tickets.  The boys love it, so its what we do.

This cow was huge!

They have a fun "at the farm" activity for the kids that is free.