Ethan Turns 2!!!

I can't believe my baby is two. Time pases by so quickly and all of a sudden I have a toddler instead of a baby. Happy birthday, Ethan!

Birthday Traditions

We have a really cool birthday tradition handed down from my parents and grandparents. The very first thing in the morning - the birthday person gets to wake up to a birthday song and a birthday present. Then they get another one at breakfast and lunch. Then all the rest after dinner. It makes them feel so special all day long!This is the breakfast present. (We started the pictures at breakfast since no one would really want to see us before that anyways!) Ethan still hadn't quite grasped the concept of presents yet so he wasn't too happy about putting his yogurt down. I started opening it up for him and he realized another toy was inside like the other one and he relinquished the spoon.

Birthday Cake

My mom is an expert cake maker. It was always a great treat for us to pick out the cake we wanted and my mom could make it for us. I always associate good mothering to cake decorating. So each year I try to make my children a cake, decorated myself. I gave myself a break for Marley's last birthday but I tried again for Ethan's. It turned out pretty good. The highest praise I could get was from Scott - he accused me of having Brenda come over to help me make it!

Birthday Presents

Ethan really cleaned up on presents this year. It's funny how I always seem to go shopping for presents and never seem like I got enough. But when they are sitting there opening them up, plus the ones from family and friends, I usually realize I probably went a little overboard. Oh well, it was good for Ethan this year. He hardly has any boy toys still so he really needed the cars and stuff - you know, manly boy toys. And he caught on quite quickly to how to get the toy out of the wrapping paper. And of course Marley and Kendrick were such good helpers! ;) (I don't know if you can tell but Marley has decided on a new vocation - she's no longer interested in being a beautician, she is changing to plumbing. Let's just say skinny jeans are not for everyone.)

He really like every single thing he got this year. He has already played with everything. He loves the cars from Tricia and the train set from the Clegg's. He LOVED the basketball hoop from Nana, and wierdly enough knew exactly what to do - he picked up the basketball and tossed it up to the hoop. Here are some other highlights:

Grandpa Austin gave him a gi-normous dog. He absolutely loves the cuddly thing. I don't really know where we're going to keep it but he loves it!And a new trike from mom and dad! (We were feeling sorry for him riding around on Marley's Dora trike all summer!)
The funniest gift was from Aunt Heather. It is a really cool dinosaur. He opened up the box and jumped back with a terrified look on his face. I think he thought it was real.

GOOD DAY

Ethan had such a great birthday today. I know he probably won't remember it but it feels good to know I gave him a day all to himself so he could feel special all day long. I'm so grateful to my parents for giving that to me, I have such a wonderful family. I am also so grateful to such special friends, the Clegg's, who help us feel like we have a big family here, they help us celebrate all our special occasions. But mostly tonight I am so grateful to have such a beautiful little boy - whose laugh can always make me crack up, whose little love pats on my face make me get all warm and fuzzy inside and whose kisses are so sweet they make me want to cry. I hope he felt special today ... because he is, each and every day.