Happy 3rd Birthday!

For the past 24 hours, I've been reminiscing about April 9, 2011 and looking at hundreds of Jackson's baby pictures, because how can it be my sweet baby is THREE?!  

I swear this was just yesterday....

But today?  He helped make the cupcakes for his classmates at preschool.  Lightning McQueen cupcakes of course.  Because life is all about planes, trains, and race cars when you are three. 

See?

Sister wore a crown on her birthday, so Jackson wanted one too.  I put my glue gun to use and voila, his own birthday crown.  He insisted on wearing it so everyone would sing Happy Birthday to him.  Adorable.

We made waffles for the birthday boy's breakfast and ate them on Dusty plates.  The biggest deal of the morning.  The biggest toy of the morning was that airplane...which is the biggest, loudest airplane you ever did see.  Echo is his name.  He's now our 5th family member.

Echo came to school with us...

And Lucca gave Jackson a Lightning McQueen umbrella, so no more stealing her rainbow butterfly umbrella.  Problem solved.  Now we just need some rain...

We went mini-golfing and go-kart riding when Daddy got home from work.  IT WAS AMAZING.  The first time for both kids and they thought it was the best.  Just walking into the arcade to buy our tickets was mesmerizing.  Lights, video games, toys, prizes, nightmares -- everywhere!  Thankfully they were too young to even ask to play any of that stuff and we just went straight to the mini golf.  Jackson's favorite holes had the swinging trap doors and he loved trying to get his ball through the door.  It took about 100 times, but it's his birthday, so we let him do it 100 times.

It was more bowling than golf...on every hole. 

Sidenote: I beat Rustin by 5 strokes this night.

And then we rode the go-karts. At bedtime. In the dark. And it was amazing. 

A full day for a special boy.  Our magic boy.  The guy who makes me so dang happy to be his mother.

I never dreamed of the way my heart would explode with such never-ending love, joy + gratitude that this boy brings.  It's been the best three years with our sweet Jack Stone.  Just the very best.

Happy Birthday, Buddy.  I am yours, you are mine.