Belated Birthday Posting

In recounting the past couple of months, a birthday post is needed for our 2-year old Samantha. August 24th was her big day, though we celebrated a day early to accommodate our party guests' schedule. The beautiful thing is she didn't know the difference.

Samantha has had a case of the terrible twos for the past year, so I'm glad she's finally two. Given that Brian and I are both fairly mild-mannered, never did we expect to have such a curly-haired fireball. The girl has spunk. She dances to the music in restaurants with her two little pointer fingers as her drum sticks, attempts to dive over pews in church, spins in the middle of the room until she falls down from dizziness, climbs the highest monkey bars and slides down the biggest slide she can find, eats fruits and vegetables like candy (a novelty in our house) and physically intimidates her older sister.

(As a side note: I took Sam to my ultrasound today. She sat in her stroller, beneath the large tv screen that shows the scans of the baby. For the entire 15 minutes of the ultrasound she clutched her baby doll to her chest and covered her hands with her eyes. I kept asking her if she was okay, and she wouldn't respond. Perhaps she is sensing what is about to knock her world upside down in about three months. Very funny.)

The party in pictures.

The cake. The candles and the singing were apparently sensory overload and she stuck her little fingers in her ears. In the bustle of party preparations, I somehow neglected buying candles. An emergency phone call to our next door neighbor fortunately produced two--the only ones they could find...their Hanukah candles. It did nicely. Yom Huledet Same'ach.


Once the singing ceased, Brian did get her to blow a little. And I tried a new recipe, which didn't turn out so well. I guess better to save those experiments for non-birthday events.

The guests. Well, as many as I got in one picture.

Opening presents.

Enjoying the boxes more than the presents.

And the mystery present for the girls as a combined gift for both of them (Ella's birthday is in October)....

Minnie Mouse ears to inform them of their trip to Disney World the end of this month. If you care to join us at the "Happiest Place on Earth", I have a feeling we're going to need some companionship to bring us some true happiness. Think about it, seriously. I'll send you the dates.

And I better not forget...it was Brian's birthday bash, too. Poor guy spent his birthday in Idaho and so we delayed festivities and combined them with Sam's--and then the celebration was of course overshadowed by the two-year old. He did get a new briefcase, though! Would I have been such a good sport had it been my supposed birthday festivities? Probably not.

In any event, Happy Birthday Brian and Samantha. You're both irreplaceable.