Who says you only turn 2 once? Brig got to turn 2 three different times this year. We first kicked things off on his actual birthday with a little party at our house. Aunt Yah Yah had been charged with making a "choo choo" themed cake, and as you can see below, she did NOT disappoint.
There were a variety of train cars, each unique, and all made from candy. But WAIT! Don't eat them...they have been hot glued together. When Yah Yah showed up with the cake Brig pointed at it for a solid 12 minutes while jabbering away in "Brig talk." We have no idea what he was saying, but the cake was definitely the topic of conversation (he loved it!) The only problem with this picture is you can't tell how freaking delicious it was!
Aunt Yah Yah also showed up with a Thomas the Tank Engine Pinata. Don't you wish you had an Aunt Yah Yah? (If you don't - you should). It didn't take Brig long to figure out how the bat and the pinata were related. Here the cousins are collecting and enjoying the loot.
Next up was presents. In typical 2 year old fashion he opened one present and wanted nothing to do with the others. He sat right down and wanted to read his choo choo book indefinitely. Why am I ripping a book from his hands and forcing him to open more gifts again?
Here is a picture of Brig's gift from us this year - a play structure my mom's neighbor was getting rid of. Dave had to take it apart, haul it from Boulder to Denver, reassemble it, sand it, and stain it. No small feat - but Brig loves it. And so does Dave. Every time it starts raining Dave yells "to the fort" and Brig and Dave climb up there. I've never actually seen Dave go down the slide - but I can't monitor his behavior 24/7...
Last but not least we ate the fantastic train cake. Brig had been practicing for months with a yankee candle and started blowing well before the singing began. After 20+ blows he extinguished the candles and the eating began.
Brig's 2nd birthday celebration was the very next day at Dave's parents neighborhood pool. We celebrated 4 July birthdays that day - Uncle Chris, Calder, Brig, and Anne.
It is a good thing we snapped this picture of Brig because I don't think he smiled again for the rest of the party. Try explaining to a 2 year old who just got the concept of his birthday yesterday, that he is now "sharing" his birthday with 3 other people. He spent most of the party running from person to person trying to open their presents and collapsing in anger when he realized the gifts weren't his. It didn't help that his 3 year old cousin got a scooter for his main gift, and Brig got a pottery barn activity table. Don't get me wrong he now loves the table - but it wasn't of much use to him at the pool party.
Here is a good shot of Brig trying to claim the party for his own, once again blowing well before the singing has stopped.
Brig's 3rd and final birthday celebration was a little party with friends and their moms. My master plan was to put a hose at the top of the new green slide and let the kids go wild. I only had 2 problems - the hose wouldn't reach, and the slide ends in a dirt pile which I figured would quickly become a mud pile. I wasn't sure how the other moms would feel about the party turning into a mud wrestling match. So instead we did pin the tail on the donkey, and a bean bag toss (aka, throw these balls in this wagon.) Brig wanted nothing to do with either game - instead he gathered up all the balls, and sat in the wagon so no one else could play. I love this picture of him suspiciously eyeing the nice, patiently waiting kids. You can just hear him thinking "This isn't happening people - no way are those kids getting near my wagon."
To sum up, I think Brig's birthday was well celebrated and (mostly) a success. Brig is one feisty little man. He has a passionate will and probably twice the amount of personality meant for a little body like his. But I couldn't change anything about him - he is just too funny, already an entertainer, and I love him too much just the way he is!
