Indeed, my little Joe has gone from an enormous baby to an enormous two year old right before our eyes. Aunt M (who Joe calls Aunt May-May) and Uncle J (who Joe calls Uncle JoupPHHchH) came down to visit for Joe's birthday and we had a wonderful birthday weekend. It started with a party at home, continued with a trip to the aquarium and finished with a fantastic party at school.
The Party at Home
The first thing we did was open presents and look at cards. Joe got some Thomas toy trains and a stuffed bunny from Uncle J and a construction dinnerware set from Aunt M. Uncle J also got Joe an Elmo card which turned out to be the biggest hit of all.
Next came cake time! In the tradition of my mom, I made Joe's cake myself. I always thought that was a normal thing until I became a mom myself and heard that people usually buy birthday cakes, but where is the fun in that?! I remember vividly being excited about my cake, getting to pick the ingredients, smelling it baking in the kitchen and waiting impatiently for it to cool so we could eat it. That's the only way to do it! Here's the final product:
We sang to Joe and he and I blew out his candle.
Just like last year, he didn't really want to have any cake, but the adults in the group were more than happy to take care of it for him. He did enjoy some vanilla ice cream, though. Here's the birthday family picture (sans me who was behind the camera).
Finally, it was time for Joe to get his present from Joe Momma and Joe Daddy. We got him a Thomas the Train tricycle. He was a little hesitant at first, but before we knew it he was flying down the sidewalk.
Trip to the Aquarium
After some rest from the home celebration, we went towards aihpledalihP to go to the aquarium. I think Joe had as much fun in the car as at the aquarium mainly because he got to spend quality time with his Aunt May-May.
Here's the dynamic duo playing peak-a-boo on the road to the aquarium.
Once we arrived, there was so much to see and touch! Joe even touched a shark and a sting ray! Here's a few of my favorite shots from the day.
Party at School
Last but not least, since Joe's actual birthday was on a Monday, we decided to have a little celebration with his friends at school. After thinking a lot, I decided that what two year olds would enjoy the most would be balloons.
That's probably true of people of every age, but it turned out I was right on the money with my hunch that they would love to play with balloons. Joe showed the group how to best play with them.
The rest of the class joined in after eating some cupcakes and yogurt.
I had a lot of help from Joe's teachers which allowed me to sit and play and giggle with the class.
After Joe calmed down a little, he joined in on the food too.
Who's that pretty little lady on the left? Why, it's his girlfriend Marissa of course! She was very happy to share in Joe's special day.
Final Thoughts
I can't imagine Joe having a better second birthday. He got to have a sweet family birthday at home with his favorite people, a trike, a trip to a magical land of animals, and a party at school with his friends and balloons. That would be a great party for anyone! Happy Birthday, Joe! Your mom and dad love you so much.
You are my sunshine, my love, my sweet son. You are the prize in the cereal box of life. Thank you for another wonderful year and I hope I'm blessed enough to see many more. Love you forever!
Side Note: I'm know I'm behind on the blog, but I have a good excuse! We're only a couple of weeks away from our big move. I'll be posting in the next week or two about how we're closing out our time here. It includes our first family trip to our new home at ekuD as well as a recent trip we took to Central Park. Get excited!