4.

Wowza.  Marshall has turned four today.  No longer is he "a tall three" but actually four years old!

 I can't believe how quickly it has all flown by...  We had a great day, that's for sure.  Marshall has been so spoiled today and he never even opened a present.  We're saving all of that for this weekend's partying extravaganza.  No kidding... we have days and days of partying lined up for our little dudes.  All week he's been overflowing with joy about his birthday.  For a few days now his regular look is something like this:

Can you see that excitement?  

This picture was taken Saturday as he watched Daddy paint his new bunk bed we got them.  The kids absolutely love it!  So even though this picture had nothing to do with his birthday, it is a fairly accurate example... back to what I was saying.  Haha.

Today he got to wake up and go straight to Aunt Lauren's house and she had Easter eggs hidden in her house for them and then she made him the edible version of what he had requested the night before, spaghetti soup with gummy worms.  She made them a feast of spaghetti and a cake complete with mud (frosting), dirt (crushed oreos) and gummy worms on top.  She really went above and beyond.  He loved the whole thing too, as did she.  There's never a dull moment with Marshall around.  These are a couple of the things he did that had us laughing our heads off.

                    Marshall: "Lauren, would you like a glass of water?"
                    ...no response...
                    Marshall: "Lauren, say 'Yeah. I would like a glass of water.'"
                    ...Lauren: "Yeah. I would like a glass of water."
                    Marshall: "Ok, then, go get one."

Haha.  That was while I was gone, but this next one I was there for.  Classic.  We were sitting there finishing our food and Lauren's room mate was practicing her violin in the other room.  After a few minutes Marshall leans toward the hall and in his best "grumpier old men" kind of demeanor yells, "QUI-ET!"  It was soooo funny.  I'm not sure if the poor girl heard him or not, but she soon stopped playing and we kept laughing and laughing.

The day just continued to be great for him.  We rushed him to preschool and I took in some cupcakes for his class.  His teacher, Miss Gwen, announced that Marshall would like to introduce this special lady.  Marshall looks up from making his "Easter bonnet" and says (matter of factly, of course) "this is Andrea," then went back to his project.  He really always has me laughing!

After school we went to playgroup at the park which included cupcakes and was missing some of our great friends.  But of course it was fun and Marshall sang the birthday song to himself before any of us could then made sure to announce that fact to us.  :)  Following the park we went to Carly & Cierra's softball games (where he received birthday wishes from Great Gma Stratton) then finished up the night visiting Great Gma & Gpa Tom and Gma Diane.  Gma Diane had blueberry waffles with blueberry syrup and whipped cream waiting for the birthday boy.  

Would you say he's a spoiled soul?

Since this is already a super long post, maybe I'll include a few of the funny things he's said and done lately.

• He is often heard praying that Uncle Chase can come home soon.  He misses his super cool uncle dearly, but Chase is doing great things in East Malaysia as a missionary so Marshall will just have to hang in there.  Marshall now jumps up and down as he says that he has to be five before Chase can come home.
• Yesterday he asked me, "Do you want to put this ear poker (earring) in your ear?"
• On 3/7: "I put chapstick on so I can be ready to marry Ayla.  I am not marrying her right now, just when I am like a daddy."
• On 3/9 he was having a little naughty episode that had him in time out and screamed this at the top of his lungs, "I'm gonna be like you when you were a little girl and you were screaming!"
• Beware... this one contains potty talk.  On 3/27: "Mom.  I pooped a round one shaped like a rainbow and its all brown.  That would be one ugly rainbow."  I still giggle at that one.
• On 4/7: "Mom.  I love you bigger than a dinosaur."

 Well Marshall, birthday boy, I love you bigger than a dinosaur too.