I believe a cold bug has penetrated our little fortress. Bean awoke sounding congested and clearly feeling run-down. We went out to breakfast at our normal spot, and she lay her head on my shoulder at every opportunity, then asked to go upstairs (code for: read books, drink milk, take a nap) shortly after our return. She's sleeping now, as Al and I sip mugs of steaming homemade chicken broth with tab@asco in an attempt to keep colds at bay. Chili is cooking on the stove and we will be watching football later in the day before we go BOWLING for the first time. Our league play starts tonight. Bean will have her babysitter, Lindsay, but she won't know it, because she'll be in bed asleep before Lindsay arrives, since we don't have to leave until pretty late. We did have a brief playdate with Lindsay earlier this week and once again, Alex dragged her by the hand around the house and showed off all of her new toys and giggled like a schoolgirl with a crush. She is seriously taken with Miss Lindsay!
I need to write about Alex's actual birthday which was Tuesday. Daddy took the day off, and after Bean woke up and snuggled with us for awhile, we all went downstairs where Bean immediately spotted her BRAND NEW SHINY kitchen play center and the basket filled with food, dishes, silverwear and other kitchen-related items! She was so excited, and began to open the cupboards and the fridge and range and to put things away, take them back out, talk on her little phone (which is latched to one "wall" of the kitchen) and heat things up for Daddy in the mike-o-wafe. After a few minutes of that, she noted a large bag decorated with Pooh, Tigger and Roo, and decided to investigate. Inside, she found her brand new ladybug backpack, which she immediately asked me to help her put on, and then she asked to "Get on skoo-bus now, Mama?" After a few moments of parading around with her backback on, she returned to playing with her kitchen for awhile.
After we had breakfast, we ALL THREE went to the Parent Tot center together. I'd forgotten that the center's hours start later on Tuesdays, so when we arrived, Miss Carla was the only person in the room. She very sweetly let us come in about 30 minutes early, and Alex, Daddy and I had the whole place to ourselves for almost an hour, as no one else arrived to play until much later. Miss Carla gave Alex some birthday STICKERS, and Alex ran around merrily showing her Daddy allllll of the fun things to do and see in her own little toy-filled wonderland. After we finished up there, we left and went out to lunch. I had packed all of Alex's diaper bag items in her backpack... her diaper and wipes, her cup, her bib and a few other things, and Bean wore it into the restaurant. I have explained to her that now that she's a big girl, she doesn't need a diaper bag anymore, she gets to be in charge of bringing her things along in her backpack when we go out. So she proudly wore her new backpack into the restaurant and was THRILLED to be asked to get out her cup and bib before we ate, and to get out the wipes to clean up when the meal was finished. She also wanted to put some little take-away items from the restaurant, like her little box of crayons and her paper menu and a little paper drink coaster, into her backpack to take home, and that was fine with us! (Since then, she has worn her backpack when we've gone out, and has a great time getting things out and putting them away.) She looks like such a proud big kid with that backpack on... it is just toooooooooo cute!
After lunch, we ran to the grocery store to get a few things. I wanted Bean to have a birthday loona since she loves them so, so she got an Elm0 Birthday balloon and then she got to ride in the neato car shopping cart!
After that little trip, we came home and Bean took a nap. Then we got up and opened MORE presents: Two from Aunt Jackie (my sister) and Uncle Jerry and the 5 cousins! A book and some sidewalk chalk!
Our neighbor Katie called to say she had two big bins of winter things for Alex she wanted to bring over, so we invited her to come along with her daughter Emma (who is 3 1/2) and new baby son, Kevin. After we went through all of the clothes (for fun) and let Alex and Emma play a while, we decided to have Alex's second birthday cake... this time with a two-shaped candle like the one she had for her first birthday.
Alex didn't want to blow out her candle this time. She seemed to really like it all lit up and glowing and she laughed and looked at it for a long time, before we finally allowed Emma do the honors. Then we cut the cake and gobbled it up. It had loonas on top made of frosting, by the way.
Our company left and Bean and Daddy and I played for a bit before Bean's bedtime rolled around and we all went upstairs to read The Little Engine that Could (the book Alex opened from my sister and her family earlier). Then Miss Two Year Old Bean brushed her teeth and went to bed right after thanking God for such a wonderful, special day.
I have to add that since Bean's birthday celebration was spread over several days, we sang the birthday song to her quite a lot. On her actual birthday, just as she woke up, I went into her room and started singing it to her. She took her hand and put it up to my mouth and said, "No more birthday, Mama!"
It was very funny. I sang to her anyway, and she didn't seem to mind all that much.
Today I also posted a picture of Bean in her boots and her birthday su|t on the entry that has her second birthday letter.
(Lyrics to Summer's Here by James Taylor.)
Cully has been brought out of retirement just for our sweet friend Abbey, because she likes to feed him steak! Cully says "Thanks for the grrrrreat steak, Abbey! Yum yum! Purrr..."