Celebrating Three

They each have very distinct and beautiful personalities, and are the people who make my heart grow bigger by the day...especially when they say things like, "Daddy, when I get older, I'm gonna have a coffee with you"...or, "Daddy, sometimes - I just like watching you."
Imagine what you'd feel hearing something like that for the first time from one of your children - who is yet to turn three.
Well, yesterday, the little miracles we routinely refer to as Morgan and Liam finally did turn three. I only say "finally" because their birthday comes after a couple of months of their father publicly referring to them as his "three-year-old twins", which is just easier than saying "almost-three-year-old twins"...and we had an amzingly successful birthday celebration with them.
Yes, both of them 'melted down' at different points through the day, with the incredible amount of (mostly 'fun') input they were challenged to absorb, but Janne and I both stayed open to it, knowing that it was inevitable. We just continued to concentrate on making it "their day".

My friend Mike brought his family for the celebration, and my friend Shelly brought her lovely little Lucy. Mike's son, Owen, who's four, was so wonderfully well-behaved, and played so well with everyone, that we are already looking forward to when we can have them all over again. Owen's a very giving, well-mannered guy. (He can be seen in the picture above to the left of the birthday cupcakes.)
Mike's wife, Carolyn, came too. Although she had to spend most of her time looking after little Juliana, their extremely cute baby girl, she and I managed to get a word in with each other every once in a while. It was then that I re-discovered how much I enjoy her sense of humour. Carolyn and I once worked together, too, and I'm pretty sure that's where she and Mike initially met. She now has her own photography business at In Bloom Photography. (Check out her kids' pictures. Well, check out all of it, but don't miss her awesome kid pictures.)
Speaking of pictures:


Birthday cupcakes. Mommy put a big blue "L" on Liam's, and a giant red "M" on Morgan's.


Part of our day was spent at a Kid's Indoor Playground. Mike and Carolyn brought Juliana and Owen, and Shelly brought Lucy. We're all pretty gentle people, and - after about an hour or so - there seemed to be a quite noticeable influx of somewhat aggressive children, so we all gathered ourselves up and came back to our house for pizza, pop and cupcakes. Before things had gotten too out of hand, however, Morgan and Liam and the rest of our group had some fun, particularly on the Big Slide:


Special thanks to Claire, Janne's dearest friend, for bringing Marilynn, Nick and Kirsten, and for driving many hours from the other side of Toronto on side roads (because she doesn't like highways), getting lost, getting caught in whiteouts, finally getting here, and then getting lost on the way home as well. Although we like where we live, it's a rather inconvenient spot for many to visit, (the word 'boonies' is often referenced) and I know it particularly meant a lot to Janne to see all of them.

My wife and I barely have time to think on most days, and we have inhuman stress levels from outside pressures - but I was so proud of Janne yesterday. I guess I should only speak for myself, and let Janne do her own talking, but I will say this: Although the hours leading up to being 'ready' for the Big Third Birthday Event were somewhat trying for us, at the end of the day - even though she and I have been under the same roof, and heading toward the same goals for ten years now - last night, we were yet again a little closer, and appreciated each other that much more, after the birthday babies were in bed, and life had returned us to our 'normal' stress levels.

One of the more humorous (to me) moments of the day came early. Janne had bought some foam puzzles (a Tinkerbell puzzle for Morgan, and a "Cars" - the movie - puzzle for Liam), and she commissioned me to wrap them while she was making the birthday cupcakes and Rice Krispie squares late Saturday night. Well, apparently, I must have somehow made them look like floor cushions in my wrapping efforts, because when we presented them to the Morgan and Liam on Sunday morning, the following pictures showcase how they reacted to them:


However, once we explained to them that they should rip them open, joy (although somewhat out of focus here, unfortunately) followed:




I want to apologize to everyone who came to share the fun with us through the day and evening. You see, I don't think I do a very good job of communicating with anyone anymore. I am fully aware that I am very much consumed with my children, and because of that I tend to neglect some very commonly accepted social graces.
So, thank you all - for helping make Liam's and Morgan's day such fun. It is something they will talk about to us for a very long time. You are all great friends.

Here is my gift back to you, for your kindness to these people I hold most dear. It may seem like an odd gift to some, but it's how my current life makes me feel. Every day. Thank you.