Ready, Set, Four!: 3 Year Old Monster Party

There are many ways to interpret the title and some days I would suggest that all ways have merit. For Caleb's 3rd birthday we ended up having a small party and he chose monster cupcakes. So for the first time in my career as a mother I agreed to call in the bakery. (Really my mom called the bakery because she was afraid she would be up all night helping me make monsters...I don't have a clue where she ever got that idea!)

Caleb, you may wonder why I chose this picture from your party to put front and center. It is for good reason I assure you. I think this picture capsulizes just about every part of you. You are mouth open, dirty-faced, smiling, sweating, a little tattered. I look at this picture and can hear you squealing over excitement for life. Tonight I began to think of adjectives that you personify and the first one that came to mind was tenacious. Immediately I thought that is it; Caleb is tenacious. But then I second guessed myself so I looked it up...
1) holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold
2) highly retentive
3) persistent, stubborn or obstinate
4) adhesive or sticky
5) holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough
I should have never second guessed myself. Even at the age of three here is what I see...
1) You are loyal to your self, of what you want and you go after it, and those you love, willing to fight for
your family if you think necessary.
2) While some would argue that you are highly retentive I would not. You are insanely retentive of that
which you want to be. Lets be honest you can beat me at any Wii game out there; that may not be
saying much but the fact that you continually beat your siblings and other older children and adults with
more skill than me does.
3) No arguments here. And just like your sister was and sometimes still is you are blatant about it.
4) In a matter of speaking you are "adhesive and sticky" too mainly because you are my little sweater.
5) Tough. Very tough. I think you could beat the stew out of any of your siblings or friends if you
thought we would tolerate such behavior. You seem to have a plethora of testosterone running through
you. You tackle people for no apparent reason for fun...thankfully though we have learned to spot the
look in your eye beforehand. You don't cry when you get shots and you didn't when you were two!
Ottie calls you fearless and I think he is right.
So are you tenacious? Absolutely! However, now that I have made you sound like a big brute let me say that you have an extremely gentle side. Daddy thinks you have the gift of mercy and I think he is right. At the site of an upset child or baby whether you know them or not you begin to look for ways to make them laugh or comfort them. You ask me to get babies a pacifier or a lovie or you start making goofy faces or touch their toes. You also love to sing (and cut up); this past Sunday at church you did not know the words but that did not stop you from singing with all your heart as best you could along with me. And you love, love, love your family.

It is because of this strong, winsome personality that I pray often that you will walk with the Lord all the days of your life. That you will be like a tree planted by streams of living water and an oak of righteousness. There is no doubt in my mind that you, like the Caleb of the Old Testament, possess the fire within you to go after that which is before you but oh how I pray that you will have the wisdom to wholly pursue God and his desire for you as well as the patience to wait for the fulfillment of God's blessing. He waited 45 years before confidently inheriting the land that God promised him and when Joshua blessed him and actually gave him the land he said, "because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel" (Joshua 14).

I love you, my tenacious little man!

Party Pictures

pre-party...from the ball park (Dean's last game) to party