Gavin is 3!

Gavin turns 3 today.  I know our families in FL feel bad that he did not get a formal birthday party with other kids but we really tried to make it a special day for him here.
It all started last night after Gavin went to bed.  When Nick got home, we set up all the decorations and blew up balloons.  Gavin wanted "birthday balloons" just like Annie on Little Einsteins.  Every time we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said he wanted birthday balloons and birthday cake.

Here's a video I took this morning when he called for me to get him...(it's about 12 mins long).  You can hear him sing his appreciation for birthday balloons! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd-N-fAHCD4

We made "birthday pancakes"-- blueberry pancakes.

We went to Gavin's favorite park for a picnic and play time.  I had checked the weather 2 days ago and it said it was supposed to storm and when I checked last night it said "Sunny 76".  I'm so tired of weather.com messing with my head and plans.  But I'm so happy we were able to leave the house.  It's been wet and cold this week and we've spent enough time inside.
After the park we came home to get ready for dinner and then the party!  A "virtual" party that is.  Both sets of grandparents had mailed in their birthday gifts for Gavin.  I baked a cake for Gavin and topped it with a Little Einsteins Golden Pyramid along with Quincy (one of the characters from the show).  Thanks to technology, both sets of grandparents skyped/face timed in and we all sang Happy Birthday together, watched Gavin blow out his three candles and open his presents. It was as perfect as it could be given the distance.

Singing Happy Birthday:

 Blowing candles:

 The cake...no I'm no Martha Stewart, I know.  But he did say it was tasty. :)

 Presents:

 The Lorax book and DVD

Nick's dad has been collecting every Cars car/figure he's come across and put them all together in a plastic bin, individually wrapped each car and sent them over for Gavin.  This is an amazing collection.

 Liam likes the McQueen pez dispenser.

The Grandmas on screen:

 Appreciating the collection...

As Nick said, I'm pretty sure there is no need to look elsewhere for more Cars.  I think we've completed the collection and then some.  To all of us, it may look like there are duplicates on the table.  But Gavin knows his cars so well, he can tell if a sticker is different, if the tires are different so he really can appreciate all of the cars.  The hard part is that he will remember these slight differences and then if he "looses" one, he will ask me where's "Doc" and I'll point to the blue car and then he'll say "no, not that one.  the one with XYZ" and I won't have a clue which one he wants. :p

THANK YOU to Abuela, Abuelo, Stacy, Grandma and Grandpa for helping us make Gavin feel loved on his birthday!