In Which LadyBug Turns Two
LadyBug's Presents From Mom & Dad
LadyBug has turned two and with the new number comes a new attitude. She’s always been sassy, but now she’s she got the confidence of a toddler. Her screams of outrage are morphing into shouts of determination. She and Bug still fight, but they are now just as likely to be in cahoots in some grand adventure. It’s not any less tiring, but secretly I get a kick out of the two of them working together in a mischievous way. It’s funny and cute and gives me hope that they will grow up to adore each other and be best of friends.
We had her birthday party last Saturday. It was a pretty small party, but our family standards. There were 18 of us. A few folks couldn’t make it and then my in-laws apparently decided to ignore our invite list and bring an additional person without letting us know. Yeah, I know. Somehow I’ve come to expect that sort of behavior.
Anyway, it was supposed to be a cookout, but we had to move inside due to rain. Big Guy and I didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye on how much food to make so we were scrambling a bit in the end to make sure there was enough meat cooked. I always overbuy food and he always underestimates how much we need. We’re a match made in heaven!
The little kids had a great time on the porch on the trampoline… the older kids were kind of bored, but that’s a phase we all have to go through in life. Our families, meanwhile, practice a sort of segregated cease-fire. Our parents will talk to each other if left together, but our siblings just seem to ignore each other. They always manage to end up in different rooms and celebrate their own individual parties. If they actually spoke to each other, they might realize that they have some things in common, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Awkward.
No worries, because the birthday girl had a blast. Before we knew it, it was time for cake! For those of you who are new here, Bug has food allergies. Nuts and eggs to be specific. It’s stressful worrying about everything he puts in his mouth, but it’s also just a giant pain in the neck. Every time we get a birthday party invitation, all I can think about is 1) How can I talk to the host about the allergies without seeming rude?, and 2) Damn, I need to bake yet MORE cupcakes. From scratch.
And here I have to thank the lovely people at Divvies, who sent us a dozen chocolate cupcakes, two dozen sugar cookies cookies, a bag of caramel corn and a bar of chocolate, all dairy, egg and nut free and all delicious. Divvies cupcakes arrive nicely packaged with a very generous tub of frosting and some sprinkles. THose who chose to enjoy the chocolate cupcakes had fun piling on the frosting and decorating with sprinkles. Some folks decorated their sugar cookies as well (that chocolate frosting is so yummy)! I’m posting the full review separately, but I need to say that the baked goods don’t suffer a bit from the lack of dairy, eggs and nuts. You wouldn’t know they were allergen free if no one told you. Our guests agreed!
LadyBug also got some lovely gifts. We weren’t sure how she’d do with the gift thing, but on her actual birthday, she ran into the living room and started opening gifts before the rest of us knew what she was doing. I just heard a rustling of paper! At the party, there were mainly gift bags (note to self and future guests – two year olds like to tear off the paper, gift bags aren’t nearly as much fun), but she dove right in. She got some super cute outfits, but screeched at me whenever I tried to hold them up to see how she’d look. The highlight of her day was most definitely a very girly baby carriage and highchair. Complete with baby doll. I knew they were coming, but I wasn’t prepared for her playing with them exclusively for two straight days. I want her to play with blocks, of course, but she likes what she likes.
The party was a success, but I’m a little sad that my baby is now two. Then again, she’s a lot nicer to be around than she was a few months ago. I’m willing to let go of the baby years if it means that we’re all able to enjoy each other a little bit more…
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