Sam's 3rd Birthday Party

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We had a fabulous 3rd birthday party for Sam. We got all of his friends together from church and school and took the train to the CNN Center for lunch. After lunch we went to Centennial Park to the playground.

One would have thought getting eight to ten 2-3 year olds onto the train orderly and without losing anyone would have been challenging, but the kids were so enthralled with the train ride that they were gems.

The CNN Center was a bit overwhelming for the kids we think. Not that 2-3 year olds sit around and chat it up during lunch anyway, but the volleyball tournament next door made it a little more crowded than we anticipated and so we quickly moved outdoors to the park.

A grand time was had by all. And at the end of the day, Sam kept saying, "next I will be 4, then I will be 5, what comes after 5?"

Easter

The whole easter weekend this year was quite the whirlwind affair with Sam's Birthday party, a church potluck/easter egg hunt, Grammy and Grandpa visiting, and getting ready for a week in PA. In the midst of all of that, we had some time to enjoy having an easter egg hunt and getting a little dressed up (for the Delps).

It did not take Maya long to figure out the concept of an easter egg hunt. I helped her find her first egg and she just took off after that. She was completely into it and I imagine was wanting to keep up with her big brother.

We had our easter service at church outside again this year, so our dress may not seem entirely appropriate (note the Phillies hat) but it was for us on that day. One day we will get a picture of the four of us when everyone is looking at the camera and smiling.

Pigtails

I am just getting this post started and will let Katie finish it up because she enjoyed this process the most of the three of us. But I will say that Maya looks ridiculously cute in her pigtails. I can't say that I am bursting with confidence in being a dad to a little girl, but I am excited to learn and see how wonderful it can be. Maya has been a such a joy to have around and it is wonderful to see her continuously discover her world. Putting her hair in pigtails this past week is just another symbol of our little girl getting bigger.

Cousins

Over spring break, we were able to travel to Pennsylvania and visit family. The 4 cousins had a wonderful time together for the most part, especially when we were outside. They loved this playground at a park nearby Mom Mom's house. We are excited for them to be able to grow up and get to know each other. I am thankful for Sam and Maya having wonderful family in their lives.

It was a great time, even though we had quite the scare there. Sam, who is notoriously timid on playgrounds, especially climbing elements, decided to climb up a part of the playground that we were kind of shocked he was willing to do. We watched him do it several times over, probably 20-25 times and he loved doing it. After Sam took a little break from climbing it, I went to sit down and talked with my brother Shawn and was no longer there to spot him as he climbed the next time. He made it all the way to the top of the ladder, about 5 ft, and then slipped and fell to the floor of the playground. It is quite terrifying to see your son falling sprawled out to the ground. Thankfully, everything was OK and the biggest injury was just some scraps on his face.

We have always been thankful for our two precious children, but moments like that make you all the more thankful. We love Sam and Maya so much and are thankful to God for putting them in our lives.

Bird's Nest

A couple of birds have decided to make a corner of our porch their home for their nest. It has been a really neat process to watch them bring twigs and sticks to the nest. Sam has been very intrigued by the whole process and has started to want to build his own nests (since he is getting bigger and can do things all by himself, which he tells us all the time). Here is his version of a birds nest:

I love my son and think he is brilliant like any parent should, but this is a moment where I think God has a sense of humor. How amazing that birds can create such wonderful creations that actually work! Maybe one day Sam's will get there. Not a bad start, perhaps the first step next time will be to not use a plastic golf club to gather his materials.

Union Game

Last Saturday night, I was able to take Sam to his first soccer game! It was something that I had been looking forward to and trying to figure out the best time to do it. Thanks to wonderful scheduling, we were able to do it while we were in PA with his Uncle Shawn, cousin Symeon, and our friend Dave and his son Mathis.

Shawn, Dave, and I have been to many soccer games together and it was a joy to be able to share that experience with our sons. While it will still be a few years until we can enjoy the game the same way we did without children (like paying attention to the game) I enjoyed being able to share the experience with Sam. As any three year old, Sam's highlights of the game were the marching band before the game, the fireworks after the game, and getting his jersey! He did watch a decent chunk of the game, but the recap of his experience always reverts back to these three events.

Here are some pictures of us at the game.