Tom Oliver Is Three....

Yes two blog posts in one day...well because this little guy I'm about to write about decided the very best day of all to be born would be his big brother's birthday...and so here we are with two boys, our eldest child and our youngest child, sharing their special day.

I'd say Tom was a shock. After having three quiet, easy children this guy exploded into our lives with his huge grin and a personality to match. I mentioned in Zak's birthday post how Zak has never been the "typical" boy...well Tom most certainly is. Loud, a little crazy, mischievous, daring, climbing, jumping, never-stays-still-for-long child...living his life completely unaware of anything other than the next adventure. He is so unbelievably physical, loving sport from so early on, scaling any piece of furniture he could if left long enough, even his hugs start from across the room and you have to be so quick to catch him as he dives full force at you with a laugh, a squeal and a "mum I really like you".

This boy of ours climbs furniture, toys, walls, people. He loves to bash and crash and sing loudly...and some days when all you want is just a little quiet it can be hard to deal with but he's also one of those children you can just never be annoyed at because he's so funny, so full of life, so exuberant. He's never been shy, he waves at people all the time, calls out "hi" to strangers and has been known to give the doctor a goodbye hug all of his own volition. Yes, this boy shocked us all, and everybody loves him.

He loves his cars and his trains, his footballs, his golf set and his bowling. On the rare times he needs some quiet time he loves his "knitting" and his playdough...and just like his big brother he loves his food and needs to be fed frequently...is it normal for boys to eat so much, or is it just my boys?

For his birthday he wanted a cake with strawberries and blueberries and a "control car that drives" (remote control car, the past few weeks he has seen another child in the playground who has one and he has been fixated and fascinated and a little awestruck ever since). We took him bowling and to a Jungle Gym where he dared to go down some huge, scary-to-me tube slides, and as he came whizzing out the end he lay still for a second, dazed, before jumping up and shouting "I need to do that again". And as his birthday came to an end exhaustion took over and he was asleep almost before his teeth had finished being brushed.

I'm astounded just how quickly this time is going, my baby is three already and is full of excitement at starting nursery school next week, to have a uniform just like the big kids, to get to play on those slides and climbing frames he has been eyeing up each time we go on the school run, and me? Well I'm a little sad as I see each of my children's lives taking off and unfolding, seeing them get bigger and more independent daily, needing me just a little less with each new skill they master. And each of these birthday posts are a memory, to remember this time, for me to read over and over and for them to one day read and know how very much all four of my little people are loved. (Isabelle's post, Holly's post, Zak's post).
Happy birthday Tom, we love you muchly.