Birthday No. 3

 Royce was a very lucky birthday boy this year.  

Aaron wanted to make him a very, very large train table for his birthday this year.  He worked several Saturdays and did a very nice job.  They together - we painted a road for the top of it.  I was so happy with the way it came out.

Not only that - but at a consignment store they had a huge box of Thomas the Train train tracks.  I could not pass those up.  The boy LOVES trains.

Halloween night we put Royce to bed in our room.  Then Aaron and I commenced operation "set up train table in the middle of night so Royce will wake up to find awesomeness in his room."  I came up with that clever title on my own.

An 8x4' table is not so easy to move up a stair well in one piece.  We ended up having to take it apart - move it in pieces - and reassemble it.  That is after we got it stuck in the stair well and taking the glass out of the window to see if we could get it to fit from outside.  It goes without saying that neither method worked.

After far longer than it should have taken, we got the train table set up with the train as well.  Aaron then skillfully moved Royce back into his own bed without waking him up.  In the morning we go to wake up Royce.  When he looks over the edge of his bed, all he says, with a big grin on his face, is "I like that."

Well good!  Mission accomplished.

We went to Burger King for dinner, which is something special for us.  The place was packed with kids.  Royce had a blast

And London enjoyed the weird toy?  I'm not sure what it was but she was happy.

 And because it was his birthday I handed over the camera to the little guy for once.  This is his first "actual" picture.  

It truly is amazing how time flies.  After all the stress and craziness that a child brings, it's really nice to have these moments with your kids and truly appreciate the blessing that they are.  Royce has been a trial on my patience (which is pretty thin to begin with) but he has also been my world.  I wouldn't trade in his mischievousness and curiosity of all things around him for anything.  I love that he is full of life and fearless.  And although it terrifies me when he takes off or ventures too far, I have to remember that he is confident and totally sure of himself and that is a gift.  I hope he never loses that.  Happy birthday little man!