Happy Birthday Oliver!

Can't believe that it has been 3 years today since that beautiful 4lb 6oz little miracle came into our lives. I took today off of work too to spend some quality Mommy and Oliver time together to celebrate. We played a lot of Play-doh that he had received for his birthday, and played with a lot of his other new toys. 

When I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday he said "go to the new Elkader park." So we went in this morning and spent about and hour and a half there. 

Then we went to another park and did another favorite thing of his - a picnic lunch. 

We picnic'd next to the river so we had to look at it although he was upset that I wouldn't let him go fishing. 

Then we came home and he took a 3 hour nap just to wake up and play Play-Doh again. Tonight we're having his favorite foods: chicken, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn. 

Happy Birthday my Sweet Boy!

Oliver's 3 year old train themed birthday party

We celebrated Oliver's birthday yesterday with family at our house. It was a train themed birthday party and well I probably went over the top with the cutesy train themed decor but I had to, when would I ever get to again? We had a breakfast party since which also worked out well since Oliver's favorite food is pancakes. 

The cake was made by my coworker. 

Our CHEW CHEW table full of coal (sausage patties), train tracks (bacon) and wheels to the rails pancakes along with assorted fruit and whipped cream. 

The CHUGG CHUGG station had rail road crossing fruit kabobs and beverages: Water Tower (water), Gasoline (apple juice) and diesel fuel (coffee). 

All of his presents!

He once again loved opening presents but wanted to get them out and play with them after each one and had to be encouraged to keep opening the next.

This his him excited and jumping up and down when we were singing him happy birthday. 

Blowing out the candle only took 2 blows. 

The train on it is from the Thomas the Train collection named "Oliver"

While mom was away getting a knife I think some family encouraged him to take a bite of it. 

Good cake!

Tractor just his size

Oliver can finally reach the pedals of Ian's tractor and ride it at Grandpa Dave's and Grandma Sandy's house! Now we just need to work on steering and backing up.

Clayton County Fair

I haven't been over the Clayton County Fair in maybe 7-8 years and Shawn goes every year with his Dad to watch the tractor pull on Sunday so I thought I'd bring Oliver over for him to experience this generational tradition with Grandpa Chuck and Daddy. My Dad also came with Oliver and I as he has joined Chuck and Shawn many times over there too. I thought for sure Oliver would be scared of the noise and of the tractors but he LOVED it. Shawn sets up our canopy tent every year as well to stay in the shade but it was beautiful this year.

He loved the smoke they made I think the most

He didn't mind holding his hands over his ears for most of it

And he got to eat Cheetos for lunch 

But Oliver by far loved walking around the see the animals the best. We walked through all of the barns at least 4-5 times during the 5 hours we were there.  

He cocka-doodle-dooed to the chickens and hens and got to see that chickens make the eggs he eats by seeing eggs laying in there.  

We saw the noisy pigs. He thought the pigs that were black and cream colored were cows and didn't believe my Dad and I when we said they were pigs. Guess to an almost 3 year old the color of the cows in our backyard and those pigs are similar and they were big pigs.  

And of course the cows. He would always stop and look at the brown cows the most, probably because we always see Holstein cows.  He got a kick out of their tails and how they cows swung them around to get the flies off of them.

And he even got to pet one after walking around asking me if he could touch them all day and me saying no until we ran into my coworker who obliged him. 

We saw sheep and learned that they like to climb up the fence and eat anything 

And every time we walked out of the cow barn we had to go see the firetrucks too 

We of course had to stand in line at the Dairy Bar for some ice cream too but I forgot to take a picture of his chocolate ice cream. The rides this year were not geared for kids his age so he didn't go on any and really they didn't have much for rides at all. We had fun though and I think next year we'll go over again as Oliver keeps talking about it still and how much he loved it.  

Mini vacation

Last week my niece and nephew spent a good chunk of the time here with us so it was sort of a mini vacation for us too. We did some thing we haven't done in a while or never done before. 

Last Saturday we all got together with my Godparents and their family for a picnic at their family park. Oliver loved the bridge especially running down it. They also had a bouncy house that they had rented which knowing from Sweet Corn days how Oliver tried it we knew he wasn't going to be a fan. 

He went in unwillingly screaming but once in there he had a blast jumping but wouldn't let go of Aunt Colleen. 

Sunday we went out to Big Springs Trout Hatchery to feed the fish and watch them. It was a very cold day, even had to break out the stocking hats for all the kids. 

It had warmed up slightly by late morning so we went into Elkader to the new park which everyone loved. It is 2 stories tall so you have to climb up to the first level and then take a ladder up. Oliver had never done a straight up and down ladder before but after a few time watching his cousins he couldn't be stopped. 

I had to go down the enclosed slide once with him but after that he wanted to do it over and over again but always in the cream colored one because the green slide was "too dark."  

I worked on Monday but my parents stayed home with the kids so they all went to Osborne and had a picnic Oliver told me. 

Tuesday I was off again so we went to Waukon to play on their fort playground.  

Oliver loved the bridge but only when there wasn't anyone else on it. 

And loved the bumblebee when he could steal a turn away from Ian and Annaliese.

Next we went to Decorah to the see the waterfall. I hadn't been to this park since I was a kid and really didn't even remember how beautiful it was. 

We all, kids included, attempted to climb up along side of the waterfall but the dirt was slippery and the kids much rather enjoyed throwing rocks into it.  

There were stairs which were new since we had been there last to climb which took you up to the top to see where the water came out of. Ian and Oliver loved that it was a cave. 

There was of course a lot of time to ride bikes too and for Oliver to "fix" them.  

It was fun to spend some time with Ian and Annaliese before they went to their other Grandparents and fun to take a mini vacation. 

Sweet Corn Days

Sweet Corn Days in Elkader was last weekend and it was HOT compared to the beautiful, at times chilly weather of this weekend. Friday night we took Oliver in to Grandpa and Grandma Peterman's while Shawn and I went out for supper then to the park where all the festivities were, not knowing that Oliver was down there too. They took him to the bounce house which he was too scared to go in and this is as far as he got. 

There was a band playing then fireworks that night that Oliver also stayed up to watch. 

Saturday was the parade. We picked a shady spot across the street from where we usually sit and wait for the parade to start because it was warming up to the point of it being hot.  Oliver was all about picking up candy until he got a flag and a toy pig. That was it for the candy and he just wanted to play with them.

And play in a somewhat shady spot. 

The highlight for Oliver was when Shawn was coming down the street in the firetruck. Oliver jumped up and down stating "that's my daddy in the firetruck in a parade!!!"

There goes Daddy!

We went home after the parade since it was so hot and Oliver was in need of a nap.

4th of July Fun

We had a lot of fun over the 4th of July and weekend with my sister and her family being home and catching up with friends and neighbors. 

Wednesday, I left work to pick up Oliver early and went to my parents to play with my sister and her family. Oliver had the best time playing with Ian and Annaliese but also to Uncle Darrin.  

Thursday was our County's Annual 4th of July Parade and we all went to sit and watch the parade but mostly watch the kids reaction to the entries and the candy. It was a hot day with the sun beating down on us but it wasn't as hot as it had been in previous years. 

He loved his American Flag 

Anytime a Caterpillar 

Tractor

 

Or firetruck would go by Oliver would stop picking up candy and watch with amazement.

But then it was back to picking up candy

That night my whole family got together with my Godparents and their family for a cookout before some when to fireworks while we went home because we all worked on Friday and Oliver had to go to daycare. 

Friday night Shawn and I went up to one of our neighbors acreage where most of our neighborhood was at to enjoy a night of good food, fun, and fireworks! 

Next year we'll have to take Oliver to fireworks to see how he likes them. He definitely liked the snap dragon poppers we did at home. 

We took it easy over the weekend and got a lot done inside and outside of the house including Oliver splashing outside in the pool which now looks so small for him.

 And sticking your head in the water and blowing bubbles in the pool

And helping Daddy change the oil in my Jeep