Creed at 3 1/3

I have so many fantastic pictures of Creed flagged in I-photo, that I think we're due for an update on him. These pictures start just after his third birthday, and just looking at them forces me to recognize how much he's grown up in the last few months. The first one was taken the day after his third birthday in his outfit of choice.

but wait, it gets cuter when you add bunny ears!
He's really smart. I was there for his preschool evaluation to see where he was at the beginning of the summer (partially so they can evaluate at the end of the year how much they've learned) and he knew everything (he even surprised me with a few of the things he could answer correctly). He loved the summer session of preschool, but told me that sometimes class time was, "a little bit boring." Oh boy, I'd say we'll be hearing that a lot so we better figure out how to deal with it. (He's wearing my glasses in the picture and he looks so adorable, a almost wish he needed glasses).
the first toy he's ever begged me for over several months is a zhu-zhu pet (a little electronic hamster that was the rage last Christmas) he picked them out for a few of his friends for their birthday presents and he had a hard time letting them go. We figured out a way for him to earn one and he was thrilled. Then my mom bought him a zhu-zhu house and car and Lisa and Tyler bought him another zhu-zhu pet. Now Nugget and Scoodles can often be seen traveling with us.
His baby doll can also often be found accompanying us on our adventures. The Hudsons gave Creed this doll when he turned one, but since Ollie was born, Creed's rediscovered his love for this doll. He named him Plant (I'm guessing that has something to do with Wall-E?). For a while when I was caring for Ollie, Creed cared for Plant. Here they are getting diaper changes together.

For a while they were fed at the same time too. And those pajamas, which were so big a few months ago, no longer fit.

I was so surprised the first time that I told Creed he needed to get dressed and he ran to his room and brought me a complete outfit (he never wants to get dressed and we usually argue over why he cannot wear his pajamas everywhere).

The next day he did the same thing. He even picked out the sweater and boots. The kid's got style.
He even picks his own accessories (and loves to make us laugh, like when he showed up to dinner like this)
He's filthy at the end of every day, just the way we like little boys to be.
He still LOVES to play dress-up. Here's a typical play date with his friend Liv. Did you notice the tiara? He's Princess Incredible here.

And he's wearing the princess tiara in this picture too because for the past two months, he loves to pretend to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. He walks out of his room and says things like, "I'm Belle and you're Gaston, Mom. I'm beautiful, and I won't marry you Gaston!" Then he slams his door and can be heard giggling behind it. She's his favorite princess because she likes books and wears yellow.
He still has his quirks that make me smile. For some reason he says lots of words that begin with M with a B instead like Buseum and Bagician.
Around Easter he told me that the Easter Bunny lives in his heart with Jesus and Santa Claus.
He loves to play with friends, especially his cousin Logan, which makes me so happy!
He's always been very cautious. It took him years to go on swings and slides (he still won't go on some slides. In the past month, I've had to climb to the top of playgrounds at Del Taco and Liberty Park to rescue him). He likes to go to the fountains at Gateway, but he doesn't actually go in them. I was talking to a mom as we watched and she said, "Look at that little boy in the yellow. He's prancing around having the time of his life, but there's not a drop on him. He's so adorable." Yep, she was talking about Creed.
He cracks me up. Last week I told him he could pick anything he wanted to bring to show-and-tell at preschool and this is what he picked.
on another drive he told me that he learned a new trick. Check it out!
In case you're wondering what else is going on in that photo, he's riding in his car seat wearing a ducky hooded towel. Just a typical day with Creed.
Like most toddlers, he's a sponge. Last week he told me to gather everything up to go inside. "Gather?" I asked him. "Yes, I learned it at preschool. It means to pick everything up, like to gather your toys." Um, wow!
He's a chatterbox. And now he's started telling me stories. The other day we were going on a walk and he said, "Remember when we found out I was allergic to mud? I was a baby and we lived here and I was crawling down the street and I got all muddy and you were mad at me so you sewed my mouth shut and I couldn't eat anymore." Uh, no, I don't remember that. Then he looked at me like I was crazy and said, "I was just telling a story mom!"
I love his curiosity even though I can't answer most of his questions. Today, he asked me if he was still little. I told him he was still sort of little. He asked me how little. I told him he was still little enough to fit in his bookcase. I was right.
He tells us regularly that he doesn't want to grow up, he just wants to stay little. I feel the same way!