All about my Darling Derek

Today is my sweet (not-so-little) Derek's THIRD birthday. As he's my only boy - he's really the little man that just melts my heart. The things he says and does just astound me. Here are some of my favorite Derekisms:

"I sure love you"
"Snuggle-mommy - you're my favorite"
"We should probably, maybe do"... followed by whatever he wants -- a way to ease into getting his way
"I'm so excited (said cited) about..." (he's excited about everything!)
"I'm really glad that..."
"We should probably, maybe go to the C-R-U-K" (his spelling for P-A-R-K)
"I need a little treatie (his word for treat)"
always asks to drink "Cha milk (aka Chocolate milk)
Other fun things he does are...
SNUGGLE! He always gives great loves & hugs
Sings songs - he has quite the assortment
CONSTANTLY says please and thank-you ( yay!!)
Races to the top of the stairs & will yell "I win" even when he doesn't
Gets excited, raises his hand up & yells "Yes-Sir!" (I have no idea where he got that from, but it CRACKS me up!)
Plays the piano & sings along to his own tune
Loves to answer the phone & have conversations with whomever it is
Likes to make phone calls - especially to his Mimi & Gramma
Likes to boss Mandy (the dog) around
Helping me cook by sitting on the counter & asking for tastes of all the ingredients (even gross ones -- he does NOT like ginger -- he says it's "Svicy" (aka Spicy) :)
Derek is the light of my life :) It's been rather different since Jenna arrived to give him the time that I'd like to, but he's so manageable & is happy to just hang out w/ the both of us. He is a great big & little brother. He's so much fun to be around, and he always has us cracking up at his own way of doing things.
Here are some of the pictures from his day of celebration~~ (all out of order...oops!)

Here is Emily & Olivia - they met us at the fun discovery park for pizza & cupcakes :)

Me & my BIG boy!!!
Derek SOOO excited about his new spider-man car :)
Kids chowing down (Carter, Derek & Cambrie)
Cupcake time :) (Carter, Ryan & Derek)
Isn't it SO funny when little kids open presents that all other kids totally flock in to check it out. It always cracks me up at family parties, that all the kids are in a tight little circle so they can be in on the present action -- I love it!
Heather loves it too :)
Mel holding Ms. Jenna
This was Derek this morning - he got to open his presents before breakfast (Yes, for his b-day breakfast he wanted Cinnamon Toast Crunch -- I'm the best mom ever!! :))
He was SUPER excited about his new computer... he couldn't get over it!

And his Aquadoodle :) Kids love these things -- can't you tell by the look on his face? :)
More pictures from the Discovery Park...
King of the tower!
SOOOOO big!

I think Derek has really enjoyed his birthday, and we've enjoyed celebrating. More pictures to come later.... :)