Oliver's 3rd Birthday

I decided that at age three, Oliver was old enough for his first kid party.  I invited a couple of his friends, baked a cake, decorated the dining room for a birthday lunch and planned a couple of games.  I thought about how best to cater the games to the three-year-old level, but clearly had missed a few details, like that this age group does NOT like to be blindfolded.  So the classic Pin the Tail on the Donkey was a bust.  Since three-year-olds like to aimlessly run in circles, I thought for sure I'd have more success with Musical Chairs.  But I guess the kids appreciate the "aimlessly" part of "aimlessly run" and never really grasped the concept of having to march in one direction and stop just because the music stopped.  At least they liked the prizes! 

We eventually abandoned the games and the kids ran to the front of the house where they emptied the porch of all its trikes and toys, drew with chalk on the sidewalk and...raked leaves. Go figure.  I could have had a leaf raking party and the kids would have had just as much fun and my yard would have been raked.   

The cake was a hit though.  Dessert always is.  Oliver happily complied with sitting in front of his cake so we could sing for him and he beamed at his chocolate cake with chocolate icing the whole song and then blew out his three candles all by himself.  Once all the kids were served, an unusual silence permeated the dining room as the kids contently munched on their cake.  And then because they're all three years old, the guests had to leave so they could go home and take their naps. 

Oliver had already had a busy day marking his third birthday.  He, his dad and Soren explored a fun new playground in the morning while I got the house ready for the party, and after nap (which never happened due to the fact that he had just overloaded on sugar and his Uncle Andy and Papa Danielle were over) they were going to go together to an afternoon Twins game. 

Since a nap wasn't going to happen, Oliver got to open his birthday gifts from his family.  He received unit blocks, a couple of books, a toy lantern to illuminate his forts, and a Wild jersey and Twins jacket from his Minnesota sports loving aunt and uncle. 

Oliver had so much fun that he announced at bedtime that evening that he wanted it to be his birthday again. He probably meant, again, as in the next day, as if you can just declare any day your birthday.  I'm promised him that he'd get another birthday, but that he'd just have to wait a year.