Dear Finn,

Dear Finn,

You are three today.  That happened so fast.  It seems like we just celebrated your 2nd birthday.  Watching you play on your new little slide and playing at a bounce place with the Cluff girls.  Then blowing out candles with Grampa, Nana, and Kenzie all singing to you with us.  And this year, we are living in Saudi Arabia.  We celebrated a little differently this year but you, as always, have taken it in stride.  It takes a lot to ruffle your feathers, Finny.  You're a pretty easy going kid.  Well, that may not be entirely accurate.  This year you've shown your stubborn side even more than in years past.  There are weeks where the answer to every question is "no".  Where you flat out refuse to do everything we ask you to do.  Where you are testing and pushing just, it seems, for fun.  But as long as I remind myself that this is a hard week.  A hard little phase.  And that it, along with most things that are difficult about raising you, will pass and the next week you'll be your happy-go-lucky self again, we muddle through just fine.  But here's the important part, Finn.  When it comes to the big stuff, the potty training and living with family and moving to the opposite side of the world, you really are easy-going.  This move hasn't phased you much at all.  You're just as happy playing with your few toys and exploring our few parks and taking long bus rides to doctor's appointments with me here as you were at home going to the science museum and running quick errands in our car and exploring numberless fun places to play.  And that, my little boy, makes me so proud and makes me completely astounded every day.  This move had every right to rock your world and while your little sisters' arrival may still do that to you, thus far, you're doing incredibly well and we are so proud of you.  

You continue to be one of the most darling little boys your dad and I have ever met.  You look exactly like your Dad.  Sometimes I look over at you when he's holding you in church and look at your two profiles and I feel like I'm seeing my sweetheart so many years ago looking into your face.  Your hair is still beautifully blond and I really hope it doesn't change.  It's funny how it makes you a bit of a celebrity over here.  Everyone wants to ruffle your hair as you walk by.  It hasn't bothered you one bit.  Nor do you really seem to notice it much.  People like you.  But people have always liked you and thought you were adorable so, what's new?  You are a solid little boy.  So strong and tough.  You wrestle and play with Tate and you seem to actually enjoy it when he knocks you over and plays rough with you.  He seems to like being able to dominate you a bit, and you seem to like being knocked around so it's kind of counter productive sometimes to tell him to stop when you keep laughing and loving it when he knocks you over.  

You are a very active little boy.  Your newest love is riding your bike.  You first rode a bike this summer at Gregor and Amy's house.  You jumped on a little tricycle of theirs and took off.  So we got you one of your own as soon as we got home and you rode it to Tate's school every morning in Colorado and would beg to ride it around the block all day.  We brought it here in one of our e boxes and I'm so glad we did.  You love riding your bike and you are surprisingly in control and can steer really well.  You'd rather be outside at a park or playing basketball or bowling than inside doing anything else any day.  Basketball may still be your first love, but anything with a ball makes you light up.  

We decided to potty train you a few weeks ago and, I'll be honest, I was really worried about it.  You are a very intrinsically motivated little guy.  If you don't want to do something, there is very little we can do to change your mind.  Sticker charts don't really do it for you.  You can do without treats.  New toys are fun, but not fun enough to make you do something you don't want to do.  Luckily for us, potty training became sort of a challenge for you and you wanted to master it.  Within the first few hours you were saying, "Mom, I stopped the pee!  I need to go potty!"  Once again, proving this amazing mastery over your little body that far surpasses other kids your age.  Your drive will take you far in life, little guy.  When you want something, you try and try until you get it done.  I hope you'll be able to apply this focus in the right directions as you grow because if you do, you'll be a force to be reckoned with.  You are a tough little kid, but you still have a conscience, which is a balance I'm grateful for as your mom.  If you're caught doing something naughty, you cover your face with your hands and act embarrassed.  You're quick to say sorry if you hurt someone's feelings and a little turn on time out usually turns you around, sometimes only temporarily, but being disciplined does hurt your little heart.  

This year you've just started to have the patience for books and games.  We broke out "Hi Ho Cherrio" a few weeks ago and you could have played it all day.  In years past books, especially longer ones, have not held your attention at all.  You just couldn't sit still long enough and they couldn't hold your interest.  But lately you've loved to listen to stories and they often transfer into your make believe play, especially when your brother is around to play with you.  I love it.  You're not a huge snuggler, but you'll let me snug you while we're reading books and that is good enough for me.  Your favorite shows vary.  Basically you're into whatever Tate is into.  You watch Wild Kratts, Super Why, and any Disney movie at all.  We've started doing a little "reading practice" every day since we moved here.  You're excited about it because it's a big boy thing to do, just like Tate has reading practice.  You've picked up your letter names and sounds really quickly and you're doing better on colors too.  You're a smart little squirt.

You love food and are much more adventurous than your brother but you are starting to balk at some of the different looking things we put in front of you.  Most vegetables are right out, but even then it sometimes depends on how hungry you are.  You could eat fruit for every meal.  You love apples, berries, bananas, plums, peaches, pretty much any fruit.  You like sweets, but you don't need them and when you get a dessert, you're rarely interested in it enough to finish it.  If you're not interested in something you either don't touch it at all, or you'll eat some and then take FOREVER to chew and swallow it.  Seriously, you could be working on a mouthful for half an hour until we lose patience and finally tell you to just spit it out.  

You love music.  We brought our ipod stereo in our suitcase and it's been fun to watch you every morning choose the soundtrack for our day.  You love to turn on fast music and dance around so crazy, or Pirates of Penzance and you sing along or wave your hands to conduct "major general" really fast.  Sometimes you just get a pillow and lie down next to the stereo listening and chilling while I clean up breakfast.  

You adore your big brother and your daddy.  You are definitely the happiest at the end of the day when they are both home to play with you.  You are a daddy's boy for sure and he loves that!  He connects with you and plays with you like no one else can and it's clear he has a special place in your heart.  It's Christmas break right now and you're in absolute heaven having Tate home from school to play with you.  You guys get along great most of the time.  You know how to push each other's buttons, but most of the time you love making up stories to act out together or playing with toys or pretending to be battling dinosaurs, or fighting jedis.  Watching you two very different little guys absolutely adore each other is one of my greatest joys as a mom.  I'm so glad you're such good friends and hope you always will be.  

I can't wait to see you as a big brother.  You seem excited to meet your little sisters but I know you can't really have any idea how much these two babes are going to rock your world.  But most likely, you'll take it in stride like most life-changing events that have every right to throw you off kilter.  You're very proud of the fact that I have two babies in my tummy and you tell people all the time.  Last week on the bus you were sitting on my lap and put one hand on each side of my tummy and started singing, "rock-a-bye babies" to your little sisters in there.  It was so sweet.  

You do have a pretty sweet side once in a while.  It kind of takes me by surprise when you decide to let it out.  But once in a while, you snuggle me and give me unsolicited hugs and kisses, and tell me you love me.  It's a new development and I love it more than I can tell you.  

We love you, little Finn.  You are such a joy to be around.  I still haven't had a day when I feel like I've squeezed you or kissed your delicious little cheeks enough.  Your smile lights up the room.  You have the most awesome and fun facial expressions, and you know how to have a really good time.  I'm not so secretly ticked that you're growing up so fast.  I can't believe it was three Christmastimes ago when we brought home teensy you from the hospital in Houston.  And now we're about to bring home your little sisters.  Too fast.  I just love you so much right now I wish I could keep you and your brother just like you are for another couple of years.  It seems too perfect to get any better.  But as with most things involved in being your mother, somehow it does keep getting better.  

You are an incredible, strong, kind, smart little stinker.  Your dad and I love you more than words, little guy.  We are so grateful that we get to be your parents and watch you dominate this little life of yours.  We are in awe of you, kiddo.  Happy birthday, little Finn.

The world is yours.

Love,

Mom