Third Birthday and other stuff

Mason and Smith turned three! For their party, we celebrated with 100 of our closest friends and family...okay, not 100, but A LOT of friends/kids/babies/loved ones squeezed into our cozy home for a BBQ and bonfire. I had planned on hosting it in our huge, awesome backyard, but April/May in Bozeman is still pretty much winter. No matter, it was still fun to celebrate, eat, and roast marshmallows with so many dear people.

Papa D and Smiggy. It's either no smile or an over-smile with these guys.

Mason, left, Smith, right, posing with their dump-trucks from Papa and Grammie Schuyler.

Birthday morn, Smithy trying to hold up three fingers for his age. Trucks, trailers, back-hos, excavators, dump trucks, garbage trucks...you name it, they love it.

"Three" seems very big to me. They're mostly 'boy' now and not much 'baby'. (However, they are still in diapers - something I'm hoping to remedy in the next few weeks. More on that later.) Mason and Smith have requested to watch the movies from their first and second birthday every day. We have had much fun watching, laughing, and explaining to them that they are watching themselves...a strange and unattainable concept for a three year old. :) Here is a link to their first birthday and a few posts and thoughts on their second birthday here , here and here .

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MayMo sportin' the tool belt.

This is the "garbage truck" that the monkeys built on Mason's bed using couch pillows. M is driving, Saw-Dog is a passenger, and S is a "worker guy". Equipped with a saw, jackhammer, and pistol, they are fully prepared for any garbage dilemmas.

My little Black-Eyed-Pea. While sitting on my lap, he lunged forward and hit the bridge of his nose on the coffee table. There was blood and tears and I felt terrible. This photo was taken a few days after the fact so his eye is looking much better than it did originally...no permanent damage.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas...the pajamas being the only similarity to the movie. (I haven't seen the movie, but I'm told it's very good) Saw-Dog is still smiling, despite the injury.

In order to get my boys to eat green veggies, I sneak them into smoothies. Lately, we've been enjoying blueberry/blackberry/strawberry/spinach smoothies mixed with yogurt and silken tofu.

The key to my success has been the use of plastic straws...smoothies are meant to be enjoyed through a straw! The novelty of it cajoles my three-year-olds into slurping away.

Smoothies are not only nutritious and delicious, but they are also just the right consistency for a sweet little 9 month-old to enjoy too. This Mama is glad to have found one lunch that feeds all of the monkeys in her care. (Those cheeks! Also delicious.)