Arthur: 3 Years Old! (well, tomorrow at least)

Arthur’s 3 years old! Well, okay his birthday is tomorrow, but I’m posting today. Time has really flown by…  Arthur had his 3rd year doctor visit this week complete with flu shot. That did not go well at all, but we made it through. Arthur is currently 36 pounds and just over 3 feet tall. He’s hitting all the developmental milestones perfectly.

Likes: Playing with friends (especially J, V, and C), his baby and bis (blanket), his little brother (thankfully), jumping and running everywhere, cars and trains

Dislikes**:** Picking up his toys at night, being quieter when Q is sleeping, having a dirty diaper

Sleeping: I was going to write that he’s a champion sleeper going down at around 8pm and waking around 7:30am. But… this week then happened. He’s been getting up in the middle of the night and it’s really hard to get him to go back to sleep. This may be due to the arrival of baby Q, but it certainly is annoying. I want my good sleeper back. As for naps, they have been nonexistent for at least a year now. It’s a crazy day if he falls asleep during the day and usually ends with a cranky toddler after he wakes up.

Eating: Typical toddler pickiness. He’s really not a fan of meat beyond chicken (and even then it depends on what is on it). Dinner time is always a crapshoot as to wether he will eat it or not. The other night I offered cheese, a peach, broccoli, and peanut butter pretzels (J and I were having really spicy food). Arthur ate the cheese and broccoli and then asked for seconds on the broccoli. So yeah I guess. But that doesn’t guarantee that he will eat broccoli tonight. I’m not super worried about his eating. I just keep offering a variety of foods.

Playing: Oh my the imaginary play is at full force right now! Everything is a big new game and only he knows the rules. We try to meet with friends for playdates at least once a week. He’s also a huge fan of vehicles of any kind (trains, cars, planes, etc). Definitely his favorite toys overall. Although right now, he’s fixated on his Paw Patrol figures. I think a few more may be in order for Christmas. We don’t have Sky or Everest figures yet.

**Schedule:**Well, we had a schedule, but with Q arriving, that’s gone out of the window for right now. Hopefully we can get back to a semblance of a schedule soon.

Out and About: Before Q came, we were out and about at least three days a week. Arthur’s favorite places include the Oakland Zoo (his #1 fave place to go), any park, the library, Bay Area Discovery Museum (one of mom’s fave places to go), Mel’s Play Place (indoor play area), Target (for cars!), and Chabot Space and Science Center.

Birthday Party: Due to Q arriving at the end of September, I elected to throw Arthur’s third birthday party mid September. He requested a Paw Patrol theme and I delivered. We had a small party of about 5 toddlers and a few babies which was the perfect number for our house. Arthur and his friends spent most of the party playing, but we did also have pin the badge on Chase game and an adopt-a-puppy game. Each kid got to punch out a puppy and take it home complete with an adoption certificate. Arthur loved his cake with Paw Patrol “candles” (really little figures). Yum yum! Overall, it was a great party and his last solo party. Next year, he’ll probably be sharing a party with Quentin. Mommy can’t organize two parties within two weeks of each other. Too much work!