Happy TWO, Charlie!

Charlie’s Birthday week is finally winding down around here, i.e. we finally opened Charlie’s last birthday package this afternoon. Since we have to pick up all our packages at the apartment complex office, Charlie’s largess has even elicited comments from the dear ladies who work there. It has been ‘hard work’ slogging through all those presents and we had to pace him!  He is one well-loved boy!    We had his party last Sunday afternoon.  While Charlie napped, Jonathan put together his new table and chairs from Nana and Papa so that the kiddos would have a place of their own to eat Birthday Cake.   I decorated the cake.  We decided to do a Blue’s Clues theme (loosely) party because he is so enamored with that show right now.  He loved it, as I hoped he would, and greeted it right after his nap with, “cluuuuue!”In fact, it was hard work to convince him to leave the cake and go anywhere else in the house.  He just camped out there for a while.  Pretty soon it was time for our first guest to arrive.  We had been talking for the last couple days about the fact that he was going to have a party.  Charlie requested a ‘brown cake’ and had been talking about which friends were coming to see him.  Charlie was SO excited he was bouncing and dancing all over the living room.   Then, just as the first guest was walking in the door, Charlie pulled a classic birthday party move and tripped and face-planted, hard,  into our speaker stand--the only sharp corner in the living room.  The rest of our guests came in the next 5 to 10 minutes and were greeted by a frazzled Mama and hysterical shrieking and sobbing coming from the next room.   It took a bit to recover, but recover we all did and the party went on!  

First on the agenda was making our very own silly party hats!  Some were invented with ear loops, bobbles and curlicues ….…and some were just too precious for words…(Thank you, Miss Debbie, for the Birthday Crown!)The Blue’s Clues Scavenger Hunt came next.   Now, if you have never tried to send three two-year olds on a scavenger hunt, it is really something you don’t want to miss.   Not only was it impossible to get all three toddlers interested in the same thing at once, there were also 9 adults hovering about, shouting conflicting, “helpful” suggestions.  Complete mayhem, hilariousness and, I hope, enjoyed by all!   ….if you dare to participate in the full experience, here are the unedited videos!

     

After the scavenger hunt it was time to eat. Homemade pizza, salad and fruit were on the menu.  Toddler friendly, yes, but who can eat much food when you are having a BIRTHDAY PARTY with….…brown cake and ice cream to come!?!!   Make a wish, Charlie!“Mmmmmm, delicious!”And suddenly, for inexplicable reasons, they were intent on eating…

After cake, we had a little story time.  Miss Ashley is sooo fun!  (You can see Charlie’s beat-up face pretty well in this one!)And then onto the presents!   Charlie specialized in removing about two square inches of wrapping paper at a time.  Whew!  (I think its time for bed now!)  Thank you all, for your gifts!  This picture about sums it up!  Our dear guests made the party so fun and celebrated Charlie so well!Happy Birthday Charlie!

You are a delight to your friends and family, you remind your mama and dada of how loved they are by God, just through your existence in their life, you are a blessing and daily joy! We love you!

p.s.  a little view of the post-party party—brought to you by the sustainable bio-fuel ‘brown cake’ and ice cream!

….its really too bad Mr. Kaybn and Miss Alyssa are no fun…no fun at all!