"I Shhhhrrreeeeee"

My last baby, J, turns 2 today. He's getting to be such a big boy. He runs around the house trying to keep up with his big sister and talks way better than any of my other kids did at 2. His birthday party will be on Saturday at the local children's museum. He and N are very excited about it.

In preparation for his birthday, I've been trying to get him to say "I'm two". So, I ask him, "j, can you hold up 2 fingers and say 'I'm 2'?". "No", he tells me, "I not two, I shhhhreeeee". Of course, N is 3 so he wants to be 3 also. But I persist, "No honey, you're going to be 2, not 3 yet". He sticks his bottom lip out, pouting and says, "I don't wanna be 2, I sshhhrrrreeeee." We're still working on it.

My in-laws came over for dinner Sunday night and since they won't be over tonight (his actual birthday) I made a small cake for him Sunday so they could celebrate his birthday with him. After dinner, I put the cake in front of him, lit the #2 candle and we all sang happy birthday to him. We all waited for him to blow out the candle, but he just sat there. We all tried to encourage him to blow it out, but he just sat there. I thought for sure he would want to blow it out, I mean he can blow bubbles, he blows at the food on his plate if he thinks I gave it to him too hot, but nope, he just sat there.

Finally, N blew his candle out for him. Once the candle was out, he came back to life and I barely grabbed the cake away in time to prevent him from grabbing at it. But what a difference a year makes. Last year, I put a piece of cake in front of him and he went at it with both hands, smearing frosting everywhere and shoving handfuls of it in his mouth. By the time he was done, he looked like Papa Smurf, with blue and white frosting all over his face and hands. This year, he sat sedately eating his cake with a dessert fork. There was barely even any frosting around his mouth when he was done. I think I missed the papa smurf look.

Well, happy birthday J, my last little baby boy. I love you!!