Earlier this month...

...Maya turned two! And we celebrated all weekend.

On the morning of May 2nd, Ryan and I went upstairs to get our happy little 'Birthday Girl' out of bed. As we opened the door and started singing, we saw Maya already sitting up in bed, beaming at us. We felt like she had just been waiting there, happily, anxiously,...knowing what day it was. Expecting something wonderful. The smile lasted for most of the day.

The birthday breakfast...


A visit from Great Grandma Marge delivering some cream of tartar to help Maya bake her first cookies, "French Buttercream"...






A special present from Mommy and Daddy opened during Daddy's lunch break...


When Ryan came home from work, we discovered (after a long drive to Grand Rapids) that Frederick Meijer Gardens had already closed for the night...just minutes earlier than we had arrived. So instead of seeing 'The Butterflies' as planned, we took our first trip to the 'Build-a-Bear' store. After receiving her special 'Birthday sticker', Maya chose her bunny, 'helped' (watched) as she was stuffed with a tiny heart and lots of fluff, 'bathed' her in the giant bath tub, chose a dress for her, and named her "Massachusetts".
Not sure what kind of expense/time commitment/complicated activity/chaos at the mall we were getting ourselves into, we were pleasantly surprised to have a very nice evening, returning home from Grand Rapids early enough for a decent bed-time.





The celebration extended through Saturday (when I was so sick while shopping with Sophie for the party, that I threw up in the check-out line at Meijer and nearly passed out) as we prepared for Maya's Birthday Party the next day. Nana, Papa, Go-Go, and Bampa came over and helped so much on Saturday night (while I mostly laid miserably on the couch all day making requests for furniture to be moved, floors to be vacuumed, children to be bathed, and food to be made). By Sunday, I felt fine with even enough appetite to enjoy the burgers Ryan grilled and the wonderful salads made by family.

Besides Maya, the other 'guest of honor' at the party...
...was Elmo.

Aunt Marianne, the artist/baker, brought him...an exquisite (and delicious) cake that she carefully designed, baked, carved, and decorated.












She's really 2 now. She loves to announce, "I'm two!" as she holds up her hands...all ten fingers spread before you.
She's two and she loves her sister. She loves to color, to make 'lines' and 'circles.' She loves to 'read' and she loves the library. Today, her favorite books are Curious George, Madeline, Olivia, and Goldilocks. She uses the potty and wears 'big girl underpants' all day every day. She can tear apart a room in about 2 seconds. But she's also learning to 'clean up' a little too. She likes to act out her stories and expects everyone in sight to participate. She is VERY assertive at times, and she is learning to be gracefully articulate. She still loves Elmo and occasionally enjoys singing "Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away" at the top of her lungs. If you are near her when a song comes to mind, she'll like it if you sing it with her. But if you are too timid or polite, she might just say, 'Sing it LOUD!'



Two is fun. It's also sometimes quite 'terrible.' But we love it anyway.