Today Grady is three years old. For fun I have been posting on facebook a play by play of what went down three years ago. Because I am not having anymore babies and because my baby really is a little boy now. He starts preschool in a week!
These photos were inspired by something I pinned on Pinterest (what's pinterest you ask? google it, it is a great online addiction to keep track of all the things you like). I know amazing that someone actually did something with a picture they pinned. In fact I have done several things so yah for me
All of this fantastic photography was done by http://www.ultravioletphoto.com/ (I would do one of those cool links with the words I write but I don't know how, if you do and use blogger please feel free to email me :D)
My sister is an A-Mazing photographer, you should hire her, I have never had a referral regret it!
I got the balloons from http://www.balloonscanada.com/ . Ashif didn't ask me to plug him I just think they were so awesome that I ought to give them credit.
Grady loved the balloons and we did the shoot at Reader Rock Garden. I had never been there before. We didn't go beyond the first garden so we definitely must go back. It was a beautiful place!
I love the photos Amanda got and I love that I have such an amazing photographer on call. Grady had lots of fun and we got to enjoy a fun hour at a beautiful park.
Now on to the good stuff! Although today is THE actual day we celebrated on Sunday so that our family and friends could come. We kept it small and only invited friends at the last minute after Grady insisted that there should be some there. It was so much fun to plan a party for him that he was 100% excited about and involved in making the decisions.
This is Grady opening his first official present. From Grandpa Bob and Gramma Linda. Another inspiration from pinterest!
Can you guess what it is yet? I sent the photo to my mom since Bob is a plumber and I figured he would know how to get PVC pipe and fittings and cut them all to usable sizes.
Grady taking part in the decisions of which pieces to use, although I think for the first bit Dad will be the builder (he is a civil engineer after all) until Grady learns more about getting the pieces together on his own.
Now do you get it? It is a jumbo build your own fort set! The one I saw on pinterest was fixed into one shape permanently but we thought it would be more fun if you could make whatever your imagination could come up with.
Throw some blankets over top and voila! Fort! Or for outdoors we are planning on using the tarps we have from tenting now that we own a trailer.
And then it was party time!
Here are Emma and Grady modelling the party favours I made. I know! I know, Awesome! I call them Mohawk Hooded Towels, but most of the kids and adults thought they looked more like bird plumage. I will post later how to make them. Super easy!
Pool party! Lucky we had several warm days before Sunday so I didn't have to add any hot water the pool. Our yard is slopped so we can't keep the pool totally full but we have about 18inches of water which was more that enough for the littlest and biggest party goers to get wet.
What do you think? Mohawks or Chickens?
Three kids in a tub...
Grady was a lot more adventurous in the pool than he has been thanks to the fearless example set by Emma who told me she "already knows how to swim". To which her mom added "even though she doesn't start lessons til next month!" lol
Alexa took over the floater and was hard pressed to leave it. Looks comfy! I wouldn't leave either :D
Testing out the fort, Daddy made the biggest structure he could come up with. Although I did hear some musing that he ought to take inventory of all the fitting and pipe lengths so that he can design something that uses the most pieces possible. If you are married to an engineer you know...
Of course if you know Grady you know a day is not complete unless we all see his butt! So he stripped because that is the best way to enjoy one's backyard pool! And then mercifully it was time for cake
DQ did a pretty good job even though they had no idea what a digger was and I had to drop off a picture. Grady loved it and that is all that matters!
Pure anticipation for cake!
A great birthday ends with cake. Thank you to everyone who attended. I will spare you the gift opening photos but know that Grady was spoiled and so was Mommy with the 3+ hours of quiet play that happened after everyone went home.
We are lucky to have such great family and wonderful friends. Here's to the joy that THREE will bring :D
