David Weekly, #24

This has been a busy week for David. We had his birthday party on his actual birthday, which was Sunday. We had lots of people show up, and he got lots of car related stuff, like a box for carrying 100 Hotwheels cars. And he got a couple of ramps for the cars to go down, but no track to go with the ramps. So I'm sure I'll be out getting track for his cars. I did buy him a year-round pass to the local zoo (Lowry Park Zoo), so we took advantage of that on Tuesday, and saw the tigers, and elephants, and kangaroos, and monkeys, and various other animals. He got really scared of the birds in the aviary!

Back to the party...David saw all of the decorations and said "Look at my party!" So, to his mind, the party was all the decorations, and not the people that were there. The next day he asked me to go outside and look at the party again. Oh, and he calls the pool the warm pool, and the hot tub the hot pool. It's very cute. David was so funny since when we sang him Happy Birthday, he cried, and wanted all of us to stop. He liked having everyone over, I think. He was good about the presents, because each time he opened one, he wanted to play with it. What he got for his birthday: a camping play set, a case for HotWheels cars, a little RV type thing that holds a couple of cars and turns into a cool ramp, another little ramp/repair station set for his cars, a shirt, a book with little flip windows, a backhoe toy that's remote control, a remote control police car, a car that makes noises and drives itself forward. He also got a Scooby Doo DVD set, of the first season of "A Pup Called Scooby-Doo." And he got a horse ... it's a little stuffed horse head on a stick. The kind you ride on for pretend. I'm sure I'm missing one or two things. And the theme of the party was Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Anyway, we spent the day swimming, going in the hot tub, eating cupcakes, and fruit salad, and ham and cheese sandwiches. It's amazing to me how much he can go and go and go on so little food. I left him with my sister for the first part of the day so that my mother and I could set up the house for the party. I asked him what today is, and he said, "My Birthday!" He knew, after I told him once or twice. It really was a special day. :-)

Tuesday we went to the zoo. He played in the fountains they have at the entrance to the park after we were done seeing all the animals. I carry him on my shoulders most of the time. It gets us around quicker, and doesn't leave him so tired. We went on the carousel, and he wanted to ride the elephant. So he got on, but when it began to move, he held on to my head, rather than the pole, and so I'm having to go up and down and up and down with my very scared son practically choking me! Other parents thought we were a riot. It was pretty funny.

Wednesday we went to the bookstore, to buy a DVD for David, for his birthday, since he got a card and some money from a lady I work with for a DVD. We got Finding Nemo. He also got a card from the Kenney grand-parents, and one from his aunt Marissa. He liked the cards a lot!

Thursday we went to Target to see about buying him a 4th of July shirt, but he wasn't having it. He didn't like any of them, so we didn't get one. Maybe next year. I also got my hair cut. At various points I'd have him sit on my lap while my hair was getting cut. One of those times he was looking at himself in the mirror making faces at himself, sometimes smiling, sometimes furrowing his brow, other times showing his teeth. It was really a fun thing to watch!

On the occasion of David's birthday, I remember how he came into this world, and I see how much he's changed, and I'm amazed by it. He's beginning to do some kid things, like making his whole body limp when he's upset and I'm going to put him in time out. Another thing is that he is not shy. He says hello to whomever it is that gets close enough to say hi.

Today, on the 4th of July, we went to a small parade here in Temple Terrace, a small incorporated city next to Tampa, and watched floats, and firetrucks, and the various other things in a parade. He had a great time! We then went to my sister's, and he played with Avery and Jared, my niece and nephew. They had a pretty good time. We all went swimming, and we jumped on the trampoline. And then after all of that we went to watch fireworks! David liked the fireworks, but only for brief periods. He would say, "Wow!" every so often, or make some other comment, like "It's pretty!" He also lost interest other times, and just wanted to play with the glowsticks we brought with us. They were useful to have since he would run in one direction, and because of how dark it was he would have gotten lost quickly, but having those things kept him well within range, just a few feet, but still.

Lately, David wakes me up with a whispered "Good Morning" and when I wake up he says, "Awake?" He's been doing this at 6:30 each morning, which has been hard for me...The other night when I picked him up from Dot's he says in his sleepy state: "I missed you, Daddy." That's quite a thing for a newly minted 3 year old to say. I never say anything like that to him, and it's never something I've heard him say before.

In two weeks David will be up in Missouri to see his mom. Actually, David says, "Mommy and Sissy see me?" I tell him yes, even though he's the one going on the plane.

So on this Independence Day, I hope you celebrated a little, remembered why we're independent, and held a little hope for the future.

Rusty