Aiden was pretty much the life of his own third birthday party today, but then, when isn’t he? He usually manages to be the brightest star wherever he lands. I don’t know how he kept up with all the fun. It seemed he was go-go-going without taking a breath. He even got me to crawl into the jump-house with him, although I couldn’t bounce nearly as high as he did. He must have been born with a little extra spring, like Tigger.

He tried to blow out the candle on his cupcake before we even finished singing to him, and then was suddenly inconsolable when the frosting fell off. He didn’t want it put back on, either, because it was spoiled. He’s very particular about that sort of detail. I think that’s part of what makes him so smart. He notices everything, like Monk.

He was very gracious all day. He said “thank you” every time anyone wished him happy birthday, and he made a point of thanking everyone by name after opening up the present they gave him. He did that systematically, too, one by one. Meanwhile, Kylie was quietly and without prompting walking back and forth on the rug behind him, picking up the torn wrapping paper and placing it neatly in the recycle bag. She’s a luminous presence who is always there when you need a smile or a laugh, like Tinkerbell.

One of his very special presents was a new big-boy bed, with a ladder to climb up and a slide to come down and a fort underneath. He was thrilled. He told Tammy, “In the morning when I wake up, I can slide down and tell you questions.” Yeah, that’s pretty much what he does. If he keeps up the way he’s going, he’ll know everything there is to know by the time he turns four. He has an endless supply of questions, and there always seems to be just one more, like Columbo.