Happy 3rd Birthday, Eli!

For those who don't know, I am the proud mother of a Christmas Eve baby...and proud as I am, I'll be the first to admit that I am still working out the kinks in how to pull off making December 24th feel like a special birthday for Eli, while still keeping with the holiday traditions associated with Christmas eve. 

This year, however, I thought we made a pretty go run at it.  For starters, I awoke at 4am (going to sleep stressed about tomorrow's to-do list occasionally has this effect on me, and I truly believe it is a God-send).  First task at hand was to make a "Yellow cake with orange icing" per Eli's request (I know my Aggie friends are cringing...which is why I had to add some blue accents, in hopes of helping mellow the orange a bit) 

Next order of business: Birthday pancakes.  This year we went with snowmen.  Eli wanted green eyes, Norah requested blue (they have recently become very fascinated with their different eye colors, Norah always makes sure she colors them correctly in her drawings) 

We sang our first "Happy Birthday" of the day, and E blew out the candles on his whipped cream-drenched pancakes (a delicacy, I might add, we reserve only for birthdays).

After breakfast, we met up with our good buddies, The Hindmans, for Eli's (and Isaac's) first movie theater movie, "Tangled" (Disney's take on Rapunzel, which HIGHLY recommend.  Jason and I loved it, as did both kids, and it was squeaky clean). The Hindman's came prepared with blankets and candy to share.  We sandwiched the 4 kids in the middle, flanked by the parents on the outsides, and everyone was extremely well-behaved.  So. Much. Fun.

After the show, we let the kids hang out in the arcade (which, since it was Christmas Eve, was totally deserted) for a while. Eli and Isaac, who share a passion for "Cars" were basically glued to the racing games for the duration of our visit.

Norah and Helen, on the other hand, preferred the motorcycles.

Everyone posed for one last photo op in front of the movie poster, to commemorate the occasion.   We felt so blessed to have such sweet friends, who were willing to take some time out of their Christmas Eve day, to celebrate with Eli.

That night, we hosted all four grandparents, both sets of Great-grandparents, Aunt Paige & Uncle Grant, and the Davidson's (N&E's adoptive "extra" grandparents) for burgers and hot dogs.

Have  I mentioned that the weather had turned nasty?  Sweet Jason fired up his pit as the first drizzles started and managed to get everything into a holding pattern in the oven before the  massive downpour that followed. Everyone enjoyed a nice, dry, warm meal.

Finally, it was time to cut into that big, orange cake.

Happy 3rd Birthday, big boy!  You are a joy to your Daddy and me. You almost always wake up with a smile (and usually come climb in bed with us for your last hour of sleep to cuddle, which I love), and seldom complain the rest of the day.  You dress yourself most mornings (preferably in Cars apparel, which you have no qualms about retrieving from the dirty clothes hamper if Mommy has failed to wash it in what you deem a "timely" manner).   You absolutely LOVE your big sister, and would likely do anything she asked you to do, rational or not, and you pride yourself on being a "gentleman".

You  never cease to make us laugh with your made up words (ex: "Pockaticket", which we've determined is a noun, most commonly associated with someone who is  getting on your nerves), endless supply of Cars quotes, and original song lyrics (sure to be future chart toppers like "Chick's All Over the Place"--in reference to Chick Hicks from Cars, not girls, in case you were wondering, and  "I Don't Wanna Go to the Barbershop").

We love you, sweet, "Snazzy","Eli McElierton", "E-mac","E", Eli.