Grayson,

You’re 3-years old now, and though you’re a big brother, you’re still our little guy. You have grown more independent and out spoken. You can speak your mind and develop your own thoughts. You are growing quickly in many ways and understand everything around you, but you still need a guiding hand most of the day and we’re happy to always be there for you.  See how much has changed, yet so much remains the same!

This year our daily routine changed drastically. We bought a house minutes from where your mom grew up, and that means we left the apartment (our first home) where you lived the first two years of your life. The most difficult part about moving was walking out of your old room for the last time. We were emotionally invested in that apartment for many reasons. A main reason was caring for you as an infant.  Every night I put you to sleep after reading “Good Night Little Grayson” and two songs: “ABC’s” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. That room meant the world to me because of you.

It may have been difficult to leave the apartment, but the joy from our new home is greater. It’s a fixer-upper and maybe when I write you next year I’ll be saying the same, but your mom and I have grand plans for this home and it’s only a matter of time. We did celebrate your birthday with a bounce house and the pool, so the move has already been a success. You have a large playroom you share with Lana, and new bedroom with a Space theme. You love the moon and we’re teaching you about the Earth, sun, and astronauts.  Here’s a video from your 3rd birthday party.

The move has also brought us closer together. We commute early in the morning – all of us – to downtown. We then spend most of the day in the downtown area so you can attend soccer and swimming lessons before we go home in the evening. It’s a good routine, long days, but we’re always together.

You’ve also started watching full movies like Zootopia and Finding Nemo. Those are your favorites. You’ve learned to swim and you’re fearless in the water. You’ve become curious about the world. You ask, “what is that” all the time, and then you remember everything we teach you. It’s often surprising when you remember weeks later the answer to your previous, “what is that.”

My hopes for you at the age of three are to keep you curious, teach you to question the world, and to reach farther into your “memory, imagination, and ideas.” That’s another phrase you’ve learned this year. “Memory, imagination, and ideas.” I’d like you to stay physically active with soccer and swimming, and always push the limits of your memory, imagination, and ideas.

Love,

Dad