Riser is THREE

At officially three years old, our boy is 38 inches tall (39th percentile) and 29 pounds (21st percentile). He is a very physically and verbally active little boy. He rarely stops moving or talking. He is getting to the point where he is starting to correct a lot of the cute words he used to not be able to pronounce. Most notably, he has always called Bonnie 'Bobby'. Not anymore - but that will forever be a nickname for her at this point. Some of the ones he still says incorrectly: 'guess so' (guess what), 'what he dat' (what is that), 'sprinkly' (wrinkly), 'I so miss you mommy' (I missed you so much mommy), 'lilly' (really), 'lion' (dino). 

I don't think I can get across the point enough - he doesn't stop talking. Especially if someone else is talking, he refuses to be on the sidelines of any conversation. He must interrupt and put in his two cents. We are working hard on 'Excuse me' and being patient. 

As far as interests, Riser has zero interest in coloring or any sort of artwork. However he is very tactile, he loves kinetic sand, play doh, baths or anything water-related. He is eager to start soccer, it is very difficult to watch his sister from the sidelines, and often joins in on her practices. He loves to sing and dance. He also will often just independently play with his cars or little figurines on the floor and make up stories. Oh, he also has zero interest in potty-training. He has used the potty a handful of times but can't stand it.

Riser has come such a long way from two to three. He has so much more self-control when it comes to hitting/pushing/etc which was an issue for quite a while. He has a lot of emotions but he is much better at communicating them and working through them. Often times when I pick him up from childcare, he launches right into telling me every little thing he did that morning. He loves to instigate to get a reaction, and no matter how annoyed everyone else is - he's just having a good time, which is hard not to love. The boy has a twinkle in his eye. He continues to be a light and a joy to everyone around him, and we are just so thankful for him!

Riser's third birthday

Riser turned THREE last week! On one morning that Bonnie was in school, I took him to Build a Bear to make his birthday bear. I offered to get him some sort of accessory to go with it but he said he just wanted the bear, my kind of date. 

Last picture with our two year old, hah!

One thing I love about Riser is he gets SO excited about everything! The morning of his birthday was no different. He couldn't believe the decorations, he loved telling people to sing to him, and reminding us all over and over again it's his birthday (as if we didn't know). 

That morning he opened presents and had muffins for breakfast. 

We then met up with some friends at the trampoline park. It turned out to be a good crowd, he had so much fun and felt so loved!

Even Grandma came, which was such a treat!

The boys ended up 'playing' the arcade games with no money, and spent a surprisingly long time doing so.

We brought cupcakes to share, and sang to the birthday boy.

That afternoon after a much needed rest, mom and Dave came over for pizza and cake. 

Not sure if you can tell - he requested a lion (which means dino in his language) cake. It didn't look like much, but it tasted good.

It was a fun-filled day with a lot of his favorite things and people! This boy's life is such a gift to us. We love you so much Riser!

Luray

Eric and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary at the end of last month. So far we have been able to keep up with the tradition of getting away for a night or two. My mom has been so amazing to offer to watch the kids for us, and they absolutely love the Grandma time. This year we went to Luray! We drove up Saturday morning after Bonnie's soccer game. Since we couldn't check in until 4, we went straight to one of the hikes we planned out, Pass Mountain and Appalachian Loop. 

It was cold but we warmed up quickly and it was well worth it! Being on Skyline drive brought back so many memories of college where my friends and I camped and hiked this area relatively frequently. 

The Airbnb we rented was beautiful. Very new, great views, and everything was so upscale. It had a hot tub/cold plunge, heated floors and towel racks, fancy appliances like an espresso maker, luxury shower products, etc. It was very well thought-out. 

View from the hot tub/fire pit.

We were able to watch the sunset out the window.

After our hike and getting checked in, we didn't have a dinner reservation until later that night so we relaxed at the cabin and went in the hot tub for a bit. 

We went to Chop House for dinner which is supposed to be a local farm to table restaurant. 

The food was fantastic and it's rare I get an uninterrupted meal with this guy. He's pretty great.

The next morning we took it slow, enjoyed some breakfast and coffee before checking out. 

Benny collected some rocks, as usual.

Then we were off to Luray Caverns! I had been once as a kid but I don't really remember it, so it all felt new to me. It was so incredible, we could have stayed so much longer. It felt like trying to wrap my mind around space, except millions of years underground. 

Below are some of the reflecting pools that look just like a crystal clear mirror.

The stalactites and stalagmites were massive, and they only grown one inch per 120 years. So incredible to witness them and try to imagine how long they've been here.

Titania's Veil

It was a quick but wonderful trip. We were excited to get back to the kids, and I think Grandma was ready for a nap! Thank you for making this possible!