rebbermade

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. GOOSE (AND CALDER... TWO!)



When you turn 2 years old you have 2 birthday parties, right? And when you turn 3 you have 3 parties. That's just how it is.

Well, let's hope Calder didn't catch on to that line of thinking during the course of celebrating his 2nd birthday twice in the past few days.

My parents, Gramma (Mama Freda) and Papa, hosted a party at their home for family and friends on Saturday. It was an uncomfortable 100+ degrees outside so we kept cool and busy in the house eating great food, enjoying the company, and watching a little boy realize for the first time that all the wrapped packages were full of toys for him.



I baked the same cake as last year... a real tradition now... four layers of banana cake with blackberry jam and whipped cream in between and covered with more whipped cream and blackberries from our backyard bramble. Turned out real good. Mrs. Goose topped the cake.



The birthday boy enjoyed time with his Gramma C and Great Grammy G.



And wore his starry crown... if only for enough time to snap a picture.

Then yesterday... on his actual birthday...





We had mamas' group at our house with about 22 bigs and littles. Lots of yummy snacks and a repeat of the birthday cake, but this time in cupcake form.





Calder doesn't usually eat with such face-smearing gusto, but hey, it was his birthday. Give the guy a break!



As the party drew to an end, Calder and a friend settled in for a nap. Not really, but almost! Oh, if she'd only been able to lull him to sleep with her bedtime stories and songs. What a coup that would have been.



Calder turning 2 years old had me privately thoughtful and reflective on the measure of the days that he and I have spent together. Never one day apart in all this time. Never one day without breastfeeding or sleeping right next to him. It's a lot of very close time. And I try to stay as present as possible knowing that change is inevitable and things will evolve just as they have over the past 2 years. But these few acts that have been constant, daily, I think of them especially when the time is measured as it is with a birthday.