Walter at Three

It's been almost two months since Walter turned three, but I still have to try and capture him at this age. He's silly and fun and exhausting and a handful and so sweet and such a dreamer all rolled in to one feisty little package. 

Walter reminds me so much of Hazel at this age. The golden locks are obvious. But the way he's constantly imagining things, singing, and playing pretend were also hallmarks of Hazel. 

Walter has been my first child to have imaginary friends, and it's so much fun. He has one imaginary friend named Benedie. Details on this friend are vague, and he doesn't seem to hang out here much any more. Benedie tends to be doing whatever Walter wishes he was doing. His other imaginary friends are a purple dragon named Raxtus and a little boy named Auggie. We hear about Raxtus and Auggie frequently. And before bed each night, Walter requests that I tell him a story about him and Raxtus. Typically their adventures center around things we've done that day, but with a bit of a magical twist. It's been a fun way to end each day. 

Besides imaginary friends, Walter is always pretending something. He pretends he's a Paw Patrol character or a dinosaur or a superhero. Of course, it's no fun to play alone, so he's also constantly assigning characters to everyone in our house. It's always an adventure figuring out who you're supposed to be acting like that day. 

Walter also is a big fan of comfy clothes - especially pajamas. He doesn't love to get dressed and frequently tries to stay in pjs all day. One of his favorite days of the week is Tuesday when we get to go to the library for "Pajama Story Time." Being allowed to wear PJs to the library once a week has only fueled his belief that clothes are superfluous. Once the weather started turning too warm for footie pajamas, Lenora introduced him to big T-shirts. I foresee many days of looking like a ragamuffin most of the time in his future. That's okay, I guess. He's still so stinking cute!

Walter has become very interested in learning to sign well recently. He's worked hard to learn to spell his name. I think it's pretty impressive for a 3-year-old! 

Walter was admittedly one of my hardest two-year-olds when it comes to tantrums. He has strong opinions and doesn't like to be told no. BUT, we're starting to see that fade and a sweeter version of Walter emerge. 

 

Walter doesn't like taking naps, but thankfully he still does. Keeping up with big kids is hard! This two little boys will have a very different childhood from my older five. But luckily they're pretty flexible and roll with it. 

Walter still is so luckily to have five big siblings. They're always teaching him new things, showing him fun ways to play, and helping him make is imaginations reality. Like this time that Lenora helped him put ties on all his animals and brought the little couch down from the attic so everyone could watch General Conference. 

Or the time he got to try roller skating... 

Walter may not have been a big fan of Lionel when he was born, but they've become good friends. Today Lionel was sick and Walter laid his head near him and said, "It's okay, I'm here with you." So sweet!

That's not to say they always get along. When Walter is upset with Lionel he'll say in the most exasperated voice, "Lime-en-ol!" I don't know why he only says it wrong when he's mad at him, but it's pretty funny. 

One last funny Walter story... he's decided that he doesn't like the smell of going poo, so he'll do this as he uses the bathroom. Also, he can't say s well, so he says, "I puh." The older kids die laughing when he does this. 

After watching Lenora and Lionel have birthdays, Walter was SO excited for his big day. He was counting down to his birthday for weeks. One the big day he was thrilled to open presents and be the center of attention.

I made him a birthday crown that he insisted on wearing to church that day. He also took mini cupcakes to his friends in nursery. 

We ended up going with a buffalo theme for his birthday after we learned that these huge buffalo statues would be on display for that day only. After church we headed over to see them in the pouring rain. Walter didn't mind the weather and loved seeing the statues. He especially liked the baby "Awe, he's three like me!!"

Lenora made a buffalo cake to complete the theme. Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen!?! For dinner we had to eat Walter's favorite - nachos. 

Walter, thanks for filling our home with fun and whimsy. Thanks for reminding us to slow down and make believe. Thanks for always wanting to sign the prayer each evening, and for the sweet way you talk about Jesus. We love you!!