YiYi Turns Dee!

Well, he's grown another year older on me. Stinker.

And while we have spent the past week telling him he will be "Two years old, SySy!" he looks solemnly back at us and says, No, Dee! YiYi Dee!

Which, it would appear, is what he thinks two is.

After all, he counts like this: Da, Dee, Da, Dee, DA! or Dee, Da, Dee, Da, DEE!

But every year is better than the last, so I'm not really complaining about another birthday.

You just want to absorb it all and not forget a thing. Which is impossible, you know?

When he woke up this morning he opened some presents.

Yes, for those of you who were offended by his green toenails, that is a doll. He was adamant that there be a doll whose eyes close to go NighNigh. Get over it, he has trucks coming out his ears.

Sadie's showing him the ropes with the baby bathtub.

Then we headed out for the first day of the County Fair. Wasn't it nice of them to hold it on his birthday?

He is just 36 inches and 2 years old today, of course, which is the minimum for riding the rides at the fair.

At first we thought he would be scared of the rides. But he had DeeDee there to be his partner, and all was well.

Then we saw Sadie's friend Laila and they all had a blast. What's with the alligators-wearing-hats -and-collars ride? I have no idea. But it was fun.

They took a trip in a rocket ship.

There, DeeDee, I've spotted the planet Qualasar. We shall land at once!

Playing in a bunch of corn. Do not underestimate the power of a box of dried corn. This kept them busy for half an hour.

Then it was home for cake later.

This is Silas wondering why the heck we are thrusting candles at him and singing.

Notice that I made a Pineapple Upside-Down cake, my first ever. Sy isn't a huge cake guy but this is gooey and fruity and I thought it might pass muster.

And I will pass along some hard-won advice. Do not decide to bake the cake in your springform cake pan. Even if the directions say to use a deep pan and you don't have one.

Just use the regular cake pan.

Promise me.

Well, unless you want the brown sugar and butter topping to drip out into the oven, causing a black mess and filling your house with smoke.

Then you should definitely go with the springform pan.

He blew out all his candles by himself!

And the cake was a hit.
With everyone.

Now it's onto his third year. Wow.

And, hey, Silas, I have something to say to you:

Thank you for being my baby YiYi, little guy.

You are so sweet and soft and squishy and have the cutest grin known to man.

Well, you're sweet when you're not yelling MeowMeow and attacking the cats with anything you have in hand.

And when you're not beating Sadie like a tiny blond-haired windmill.

But you are always soft and squishy and you do truly have the cutest grin known to man.

And the other stuff is par for the course for a two year-old, I've found.

Happy birthday, Sweet Boy.

Love, Mama