Happy girl on big red tricycle

TWO

Dear Lily,
You're two. I can't seem to believe it. TWO. Time has certainly flown by since you were born. Two years since Daddy and I went to Hibachi Japan and my water broke in the bathroom, announcing your arrival in well, perhaps not the ideal way, but definitely a memorable one. Those first few days were not just a little bit scary, but also amazing and wondrous as we watched you in your (as your Daddy says) animatronic muppet stage. Days after you were born a horrible storm formed-Hurricane Katrina. It devastated areas which to this day are still not rebuilt. As I nursed you night after night, I watched the news as stories of women giving birth amidst this storm. And I held you just a little bit tighter. I hope someday I will be able to explain this storm to you and together we can find someway to make a difference.

Today, well you are definitely not an animatronic muppet anymore. Nope you are a funny, beautiful, smart, opinionated little girl. You know what you like and you know what you don't like and you are sure to let everyone know around you. Some of your favorite things are apple sauce (which you say quite perfectly,) pancakes, hamburgers-NOT cut up but in the bun just like a big girl, yogurt, and just about any kind of fruit you can get your hands on. I am also happy to report that every time you are served peas you have eaten at least two. Progress.As for people? Oh my goodness do you LOVE your Nonnie and BaBa and Mor Mor. Sure Mama and Daddy are fun, but come on. Grandparents? What could be better. Although seeing your face when you see (in your words) "Meeeeeeeessssssy!!!!!!! Meeeeeeeeeesssy!!!" and Maya is just priceless. The giggles and smiles are UNCONTROLLABLE. And thank goodness you are starting to get over some of your Ben shyness too-very helpful as he is part of the Meeeeeeessy and Maya package. I am hoping that someday you will have the same hysterical affection for your Aunts and Uncles and cousins. One day I hope.

So what are you doing these days? Well counting to ten all by yourself. My favorite is when you get to teuw. Or when you say sheuw. It is just TOO CUTE. And as for the alphabet song? You are getting there. Perhaps we slide over a few letters, but you know the gist-especially when we get to the end "now I know my A-B-C's." Makes a Mama proud. You also love to put shapes into there rightful holes. When your Mama was little we had a game called Perfection where you had to put a bunch of pieces into their teeny tiny holes within a time limit. Daddy thought it would be a great game for you too. Well no timer yet, but you did it. Every single one-with only a little bit of help from Mama and Nonnie. We were quite impressed. You are also a never ending wealth of really funny stories. Like the time you pretended to eat (and feed me) bits off your leg because you were REALLY ready for lunch. Or on Sunday when they were talking about needing cookies for a program and you heard the word cookie and very loudly said "COOKIE!" Well it was a word you recognized. You are also a joy to watch as you listen to music. You get SO into it. Clapping to the beat and dancing and stomping all around. Makes a music teacher proud ;)Your favorite characters right now are COOOOOKIE! Elmo, and Ernie. And for some really strange reason why I can't quite name, Slimy.So there you have it. You in a nut shell. You are two. I just can't wait to see what you do next.
love, Mama

Ten on Tuesday:: possible titles for this post

1. how to put on a concert-almost two year old style
2. how to make your Mama forget how cranky you have been all morning
3. how to brighten up a very gloomy rainy day
4. how to read music...when you can't read
5. how to occupy self for 15 minutes
6. how to delay naptime
7. how to get your Mama to grin like a fool and clap...a lot
8. how to get your Mama to dream about being a stage mother (just kidding!!)
9. how to get in trouble for taking Mama's hymnal off the bookshelf and making Mama forget about it in two easy steps.
10. how to make Mama teary because you are getting so grown up.

So here's the story. Lily got my hymnal off the bookshelf, opened it up and started singing. "Whiiiiiizzz aaaahhhh doooooooooo dooo dooo doo" or some variation of there of. So I came and sat down. Everytime she stopped, I clapped. She beamed, then turned the page for the next song. I so wish I could have got it on tape, but it would have just ended much sooner, so this is one of those moments that I will cherish in my memory, but trust me, it was cute :)
whiz aaaah dooooo

Wow and happy birthday to me!

Me jumping...on my birthday...with the absolutely goofiest face ever...and I mean ever :)
I am one lucky girl. I am one blessed girl. And I am one happy girl...happy to be 30 I guess. SIXTEEN of my very favorite people in the entire world surprised me at Hibachi Japan (my very favorite restaurant) on Friday night. Sixteen people, four babysitters and one girl who arranged it all. Thank you Jenya (who does have a blog but it is only her online resume' and who really needs to know what classes she took in Grad School right now? ;) for arranging ALL of this. She called people she didn't know. She called people while they were sitting on the beach in Miami and Myrtle Beach. And thank you SO much to everyone of you who came. Seriously I am so touched, so thankful...but so wishing I could have remembered to get a photo of everyone jumping...oh well, there's always next year. ;) So here is all of us, minus Chris (Shelly's husband, and minus the random guy who we asked to take the picture but couldn't figure out our super high tech cameras ;)And now in my 30th year I am going to figure out how to NOT use :) or ;) twenty times in everything I write *sigh* ;)

Calendar 2008 update* edited

Wow these months are going fast! Ok here is what we have so far...
January...Suzanne
February...Michelle_D
March...Susie
April...Me
May...Charissa
June...Shelly
July...Missy
August...
September...Katy
October...Tara
November...Chrissy
December...Cathy

And I will get examples up soon :) Thanks for playing along girls!

*edited::only ONE month left!!