Phew! What a month! And, we get to cap it all off by celebrating our favorite littlest brother.  We celebrated Oscar’s birthday on his actual birthday (June 23) with some vegan cupcakes (thanks, Unrefined Bakery!) and some family time.

Oscar got things he usually has to share from his brother – like this perfectly manly pink baseball bat and ball.

And some rubbery whiffle balls that won’t break when brother smashes the crap out of them.

Did you notice the baseball helmet?? This might have taken the cake. Oscar absolutely loves wearing Walt’s helmet and now has one of his own.

We also opened gifts from Aunt Big and Uncle Rusty. A Harley Davidson 3-wheeler!

With cool shades, of course.

 Oscar was so in tune with his birthday. I don’t think Walt grasped the idea of birthdays until he was 4. All week long, Oscar knew it was his birthday and was so excited when it was finally here!

On Saturday, we celebrated with all of Oscar’s friends. We had a big water slide and tons of water games. And, for dessert, an ice cream sundae bar!  Oscar didn’t even know what to do with himself when his school friends started showing up.

Thank goodness for the blow up pool!

Utilizing every single non-motorized vehicle we own

Ice cream bar!

Blowing out his candle (before the ice cream melted!). (Photo cred: Stori Zicchino)

buddying up to cousin Jameson

Had to show the brothers. This is how these two play. Play fight.

So, what is Oscar into at 3?  He is a crazy chatter box. He loves to tell stories and is happiest with anyone who will listen to him. In fact, he’s quite the little entertainer.  He loves to do whatever Walt is doing and mimics a lot of his behavior.  As such, he can hit a baseball on and off the tee, he is quite the aggressive soccer player, and he’s learning how to swing a golf club (if we can just figure out which hand it goes in!).  Oscar continues to be super emotional. This is a good and a bad thing. He’s lovey, gives hugs, likes to be skin-to-skin, bats his eyelashes and can say the sweetest things. It also means that he can get pretty upset.

Like most three year olds, he doesn’t like being told what to do and gets very emotional when put in time out. He yearns for the hug and kiss that comes after the punishment. We are having to set some clear and tough boundaries with him. It’s a trying time to say the least, but we’re trying to prevent him from being a jerk when it’s less appropriate (like 5 or 15 years old). Parenting is hard!

When it comes to eating, Oscar is a great eater. I wouldn’t say he eats anything, but he definitely tries almost anything. I have to give him credit there. Walt doesn’t even want a foreign food on his plate.

Some quick stats:

Weight: 38 lbs 4 oz (94%)
Height: 39.5″ (85%)*
*his height didn’t change from 2.5 years so one of them is off. We need to measure him at home. Either way, he’s a big guy.

Oscar, we love you so much and you bring so much joy to our house. We love how you’re different from Walt and how you two love each other so.  We can’t wait to see you with your sister, Vivian.