Zane's 3rd birthday party!

Everyone gathered to celebrate BIG ZANY! Zane's best friend cousin Hallie, accompanied by family, was in attendance.

Baby Scarlett was excited for the party, too!

 First order of business, get the kids decorating the cake!  Everyone stripped down to their undies and got a knife.  I made a big batch of red (ish...) fluffy frosting and made some eyeballs with the intent that the kids could make an Elmo cake for Zane.  We let the kids go at it, and with plenty of red dye, skittles, and eyeballs, this is what they proudly presented:

What IS this thing?!

 It's so ugly it makes Scarlett cry.  And the rest of us laugh until tears.

Next... presents!

Zane in his fantastic Super-Guy costume from Auntie Lisa.

 Most kissable Super-Guy ever!  Oh my gosh I can't resist his manly charms!

 And last to blow out the candles.

Maybe we need a little help from big brother.

Happy birthday 3 year old boy!

This little man brings so much good cheer into our family.  I call him my "Happy Boy" and he has very much adopted that moniker.  I often ask him "What are you doing down there in the basement, Zane?" and he'll answer "I just bein' a happy guy, Mom!"  He is rarely, so rarely, fussy, needy, or cranky. Zane can entertain himself for seemingly infinite lengths of time, singing to himself, telling himself long stories complete with sound effects, apparently hilarious because he laughs at his own jokes mid-narrative.

After a summer in the sun, usually in a state of total undress (can't keep clothes on this kid for any length of time!), Zane is one honey-brown little boy, with blonde-highlighted sticky-up hair and a permanent look of exuberant surprise.  He runs on strong sturdy legs and clenched chubby fists and a scowl of focused determination. Did I mention his feet are huge?  He grew out of his size 11s this week... so now he and Zoe wear the same size!

To the confusion of randomly approached unfamiliar adults, he proudly announces that his name is ZANY and that really fits him quite well.  He is one crazy, noisy, busy kid.  He really didn't start talking in earnest until about 2/3 of the way through his second year, and now he is making up for lost time. A constant stream of near-shouting narrative and exclamation fills our home from dawn until dusk, punctuated occasionally by impressively formed sound effects.  

Zane's favorite toy is a plastic hammer.  He is rarely found without one of his hammers to "do my work!"  Except maybe when he's outside, and then he's always got a stick or two clutched in each hand, brandished and banged with wild, noisy, joyful abandon.

Zane knows the last word to every phrase of our Declaration of Independence memorization. All the other words, he points out often, can be easily replaced by his favorite fill-in words "What-ay-what-ay-self-evident!"

In the last month, Zane has started coming up to me, climbing into my lap, and throwing his arms around my neck.  Nose to nose he declares "I love you, Mommy!  I love you! I kiss you Mommy!" and then he peppers me with delicious, sticky boy kisses.

He also love love loves his "Baby Van." At the grocery store, he will often walk up to passing old ladies and shout, pointing to my belly "DIS MY BABY VAN!!  HE COME OUT SOMEDAY! Uh-HUH!" He pets and kisses and shouts at my belly all the day long.  I can't wait for him to meet his baby brother.

Whenever he leaves my presence, Zane cheerily shouts to me his travel intentions "I goin' downstairs Mom! I'll be back soon, Mom!  See ya later, Mom! Bye, Mom!"  Yes, this happens nearly every time he leaves the room, and I never tire of hearing him.  See ya later, Zany. Happy Birthday!