Happy birthday Henry!

Oh my dear Henry - you are 2! We had a weekend of fun for your birthday.

We rode Thomas at the convention center. Followed by hamburgers at Red Robin and a good nap (very needed after the excitement of the train show!).

Birthday morning was surprise decorations and pumpkin pancakes. Oh my happy boy! You loved it.

And evening brought friends for a birthday dinner. It was great for everyone as the kids ran off to play and the adults got to relax and enjoy the mayhem.

I can't believe you are two. In only 730 days, you've grown 3X your size, learned to walk, talk, run, swim, and dance. It is absolutely amazing.

And we absolutely adore you.

More photos here.

Love,

Mama

Life's an adventure with Lucy B

Yesterday, you didn't wear pants to school. We could have had the "that shirt is not a dress" argument but let's save that for when you are 16, shall we?

Today, you are wearing 2 complete outfits stacked on top of one another.

All in all, since you dress yourself and always look adorable, I'm not one to get in the way of your fashion adventures.

I do, however, get in the way of your mischief adventures. That is, unless I'm changing Henry's diaper and can't move. Here's such an episode this morning.

Mama: "Lucy, what are you doing in the kitchen?"

Lucy: "Nothing. I'm not troubling." (Trouble as verb - love it!)

Mom: Walks into see Lucy standing on the counter, hunting through cupboards.

Lucy: "I'm just looking for cupcakes with sprinkles on them." OK, with that imagination, I don't blame you for looking in the cupboards!

Mama: "I don't have any cupcakes. How about a cracker with butter and sprinkles?"

Lucy: "Sure mom, that would be great." How cute is that?

Certainly never a dull moment with you around.

Love,

Mama

"Checking ears"

Henry, you are on the mend from your second double ear infection!

You were acting sick yesterday morning and luckily we had your 2-year checkup scheduled for the afternoon so you got some medicine for your ears along with the usual measurements and immunizations.

Part of your annual exam is to fill our forms assessing your development. One of the questions was about typical speech so I wrote down "Henry going to doctor, checking ears." and "I wanna try that." – sentences you said while I was filling out the form and nothing unusual for you. You've been talking in full sentences for a while now, conjugating verbs, using this/that correctly, switching persons (I/you/she) etc. You are a talker just like your sister.

Dr. Ruden was quite impressed with the form and may not have believed me until he watched you stack their testing blocks – ALL 11 of them. "I've never in my 36 years seen a 2-yr-old do that."

So there you have it, my sweet boy. Medicine to "fix a ears" and confirmation that you are thriving and growing in amazing ways.

I love you sweet boy. Feel better soon!

Here's a little video of you walking to school this morning, pushing your stroller. Note the veering to be sure you go through every puddle – and interest in identifying all the plants along the way.

Viaje a México

Traveling with 2 toddlers is hard - it just is. The physical demands of squirming bodies in compact places. The mental demands of preparing to make every scenario a happy and safe one.

I spent all week packing. Monday: food and medicines. Tuesday: toys and pool stuff. Wednesday: clothing. Thursday: carry-ons with travel entertainment. Etc. That on top of the hours we spent finding the proper sun gear. Solar Ray Mitigator is my new job title and I have the long sleeve shirts and 7 types of sunscreen to prove it.

But it was worth it. OH SO WORTH IT. Seven days of pure happiness and sandy adventure that I hope you won't forget.

What I want to remember...

Henry playing in 4 square inches of sand in a tree planter, "ha ha ha, so essited (excited)" coming nonstop out of his mouth – not even registering that he is 5 feet away from a pool the size of Costco and 10 feet away from miles of sandy beach.

Lucy and Lizzie roaming the pool, playing 100 variations of mermaid sisters. Overhearing conversations such as

• Lizzie: "Let's play that this is poison and we have to mix it by the sand and then we'll pretend there is a treasure."
• Lucy: "Ok. Swim to me, my dear."

Making road in the sand with Henry - way easier than sand castles and more interesting for a lover of wheels.

Swimming under the full moon with the sounds of the surf and the kids laughing.

Hot sun on my face and cool sand on my feet, running straight into the ocean at Playa Del Carmen.

The food - ¡Oh, la comida deliciosa!

And SO many other things. I'm already dreaming of going again. Maybe we can all learn some Spanish before than.

Until then:

Ver fotos de nuestro viaje a México

Uh-oh, it's contagious

First, one succumbs to the princess fever.

Soon, another is taken.

And then, we've got a full-blown outbreak in the house.

You better run for cover, Daddy. You're next.