Today Honor turns 3 years old. I really can’t believe how big he is. His turning three brings some great relief. I’ve spent the last three years wishing he would get easier and now here he is bigger, easier and he will never be that tiny toilet playing boy again. Changes like these are bitter sweet.

He woke up this morning slightly grumpy until I tempted him out from under his blankets with the offer of a juice box. Juice boxes are revered treats in our house, never mind that they get them almost every day. After I tempted him with his juice box, I took him to the living room to show him his pile of presents. That cheered him up right away and it was perfect timing because his dad just walked in the door from an early meeting.

This morning he opened up something that he has been wanting SO badly – a Batman Sword. I could tell he was very happy with his present because he kept coming up to me between swings and jabs to tell me, “I love you very much, mom.” He’s sweet that way.

I was thinking about how much he has changed in the last year. It has wizzed by. He talks really well; it’s a rare occasion that we don’t understand him. When that happens, he speaks very loudly as if the shear volume of his voice will cause us to understand. He is an amazingly good eater, often he will eat as much as I do at one meal. It doesn’t seem to affect his waistline, every pair of pants he owns still fall down. He gets his butt from his dad. Ooops! I said the “B” word. Every time he goes poop on the potty, he still asks if he can say the “B” word… one time.

Everything done wrong is “just a wittle accident.” Oops, I hit my sister, “It was just a wittle accident.” He intentionally splatters soup all over the floor, “It was just a wittle accident.” This works out especially well for potty training. He told me yesterday, ” I won’t pee in my pants, because that would be just a wittle accident.” No big deal!

He loves bugs and dinosaurs and lizzards and pirates and batman and tools. When Honor was born, the hospital gave him a soft little bear with their logo emblazoned across its chest. This has become Honor’s favorite over the past few months. His name is Tootie Bear and, yes, it is because he toots. A lot. Tootie Bear has tooted on everything you could imagine. The other day Tootie Bear disappeared. I checked with everyone whose house we had been at recently, tore our own house apart and still couldn’t find Tootie Bear. A few days later he magically appeared. This further convinces me that Honor has a secret hiding place for his most beloved items because I frequently search the house for special toys to no avail only to have Honor find them days later. The presence of a secret hiding place is not surprising to me at all.

I planned to post photos of Honor over the past three years today, but having spent the last hour searching through iPhoto, I’ve discovered that there was no way I could pair it down to anything manageable. Click the photo below of Honor today in his special “pirate” birthday shirt to see the whole set of Mr. Honor aka Destruct-o-con aka Spuddy Buddy aka Stinky Pants.

well… one more just for good measure.