Joshua is 3!

This year, Joshua has been obsessed with all things Thomas & Friends. In lieu of a birthday party, we took him to see and ride on Thomas. You can read about our fun-filled day here: http://cheneyfamilyof5.blogspot.com/2015/01/joshuas-day-out-with-thomas.html

For his birthday cake, Joshua only wanted Gator (a newer engine from the Thomas & Friends line) on his cake. When I saw an idea to put railroad tracks on a number 3 cake, I just had to!

Joshua loved it, of course, and kept telling me, "Thank you for my Gator cake, Momma!" Love that boy!

The next day, Joshua took my camera and took a few pictures of Gator. This one is actually my favorite of the ones he took. Joshua has been a hard core thumb sucker from day 1. With prompting from his dentist, we told Joshua that when he turns 3, he can only suck his thumb at nap and bedtime. He has been doing a good job of keeping his hands busy playing and only needs a few reminders during the day. So, this wrinkled little thumb will soon be a thing of the past and I just love this precious reminder of how little my big boy really is. 

At three years old, Joshua...
is curious! He asks lots of questions all day long.
is talkative! If he's not asking questions, he's telling stories.
still likes the color blue--teal blue, especially. (He has been liking green lately, too.)
LOVES HIS DADDY!

loves to play trains, planes and cars. He knows each one by name and often takes them to "parties."
does not like Luke taking his trains or messing up their order. 
enjoys playing outside in the sand or riding scooters.

says "I love you" and "thank you" frequently.
loves all of his brothers and is a very sweet brother most of the time!
wants to do whatever Eli and Micah are doing.

is "proportionately small" according to his doctor.
can now tolerate eating egg whites and dairy products, although he doesn't really like cheese.
loves to eat cereal, oatmeal, and all desserts. 
likes to help out-especially with cooking (licking the bowl is his favorite part!) and washing dishes.

knows and can recognize the first letter of all of our names.
recognizes his own name in print.
can count to 12.

enjoys messy crafts and activities, like finger paint and shaving cream play.
likes to cut paper.
will often give me "gifts" of paper he has cut with the scissors.
is funny and energetic.

Joshua, you keep us all on our toes with your questions and funny stories. We laugh a lot in this house because of the things you say. We enjoy your curiosity and creativity. Daddy and I pray you always keep your sense of humor. We love you, sweet boy!!