Today is Rho’s birthday. My baby is 3! I’m not exactly sure where the time went – it seems as if only 3 months have passed rather than 3 years. I can remember rolling my eyes when women talked about the day they had their children. From the other side (and with a few more years experience), Rho’s birth is one of the most important and special days of my life. I find that I LOVE telling the story of his birth – and he, at least, loves to hear it. Of course, Rho’s arrival was rather spectacular when, in typical Rho behavior, he decided to arrive after only 45 minutes of labor, while only DrQ and I were in the hospital room. DrQ had the joy of catching him – personally. Somehow that seemed perfectly fine at the time (to me anyway, not to DrQ), though now it seems a little scary.
Given the craziness that has just passed at the holidays, we’ve decided to wait to celebrate his birthday with family & friends in a couple of weeks. So, today at lunch we celebrated with just the four of us. Gamma gave him a Hot Wheels motorcycle (bought with his own money at a whopping $1.04), and he received a Radio Flyer Big Flyer from DrQ and I.
Unfortunately, when the product specifications said 3-7 years of age, they really meant 3 year olds who are 4-6 inches taller than the average three year old. Interestingly, according to the CDC Growth Charts the average 3 year old is 38 inches tall. Rho is 40 inches tall (putting him in the 95th percentile in height for 3 year olds) and he is at least two inches too short for the Big Flyer with the seat pushed all the way up. Gamma at 5 years 11 months (and 50″, putting him outside the 6 year old growth chart and 50th percentile on the 8 year old chart) is too tall for the Big Flyer. Sheesh. I know my kids aren’t the average, but could we please measure things in a reasonable way? Like 42-48″ tall and less than 65#s? GRRRRR! Shame on you Radio Flyer! He is SO excited to have the Big Flyer, it just kills me that he won’t be able to pedal it.
He was supposed to be taking his nap, but I just caught him downstairs, by himself, pathetically pushing the Big Flyer with his feet, and struggling to drive over “obstacles”. Since it is 15 degrees here, I moved some of the furniture, rolled up the rugs off the hardwoods, and he and I did laps, giggling hysterically, and sliding around corners until we were both out of breath. I see a couple months of Gamma, DrQ and I pushing him around, but figure that by spring he’ll be sliding around on his own.
