Two Be or Not Two Be

In the first five days of being two, Jack decided to throw down the gauntlet. He had his first mega-tantrum, which lasted the entire way out the door, down the steps, into the car, all the way to Molly's school where he barely pulled out of it with the sniffles.  He got hand, foot, and mouth disease and was a bit of a sleeping disaster for a couple of days, and he topped it all off with a sugar-and-lack-of-nap vomitron session at dinner where I had the pleasure of catching his upchuck in one hand (why that seemed like a good idea, I don't know) and trying not to let Miss Gags-A-Lot to look with the other (although she did and threatened to let loose herself). Thankfully, John cleaned it up because, well, Molly gets her gag reflex for those sorts of things from somewhere.  So, in addition to the normal bumps, bruises, and falls that we experience on a daily basis, the beginning of two has been a bit of trial by fire but we have all persevered and I'm expecting the rest of the year to be free of calamity.  That's reasonable, right? 

Here are a few pictures from the remainder of the week -- thanks for all the calls, emails, in-person celebrations, and gifts. The love of trains, trucks, and tractors is evident in the cakes and toys and more than one person around here has been having a lot of fun, lately. 

The actual birthday evening.

A little family celebration over the weekend.

Thanks to my friend Jessie for her cake making tips. Although this does not rise to anywhere near the level of her creations, it would have turned out far worse without her advice. Thankfully, it passed muster for the under-fives and I had fun making it.

Who says rain gear can't be attractive?