celebrating her

With two complete trips around the sun now under her belt (if she wore a belt, anyway) our little one is two years old.

2 years old.

As we did last year, to mark the occasion we posted a year's worth of favorite photos on the wall in the dining room.  They stayed up for at least a couple months last year and now that new ones are up, I don't see myself taking them down anytime soon.  Like I said in my last post, looking through photos from the entire year really helped me put it all in perspective and come away feeling like the year had not in fact flown by after all. Rather, it was enjoyed immensely.

Last year we invited a few close friends to share Claire's birthday dinner and cake with us.  This year we expanded on that a little, deciding to invite "her people" for a little party.  We aimed to keep it small and in the end, though we had nearly 30 people in our small home, it felt just right.  "Her people" meant that we invited those that she talks about all on her own.  Neighbors, a few close friends, family.  There were several little pairs of feet running around the house and jumping on her bed, many little hands reaching for sugar cookies and playing kitchen.  I made little goody bags for the littlest guests.  Pea seeds, boxes that Claire painted, stickers, mini pencils and little stapled-together paper books, organic lollipops.  I felt the need to tell each parent, as I handed the bag to their child, that it had in it not only sugar,  but also a sharp pencil and staples.  Perhaps I'm not the greatest goody-bag-for-toddlers maker.  But it was fun.

We put out photos of Mike and I from when we were two years old.
(She does not get her svelte toddler body from me.  I was a chunker, no doubt!)

Carrot cake made an appearance again and I think it's a keeper.  There was also apple coffee cake and sugar cookies.

For dinner we had Butternut Squash soup made with cider and pears (recipe from Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life), and gingery Vegetable Udon Noodle soup with bok choy, mushrooms and tofu.  And bread.  And snacks, too, of course.

One of her little friends, William, brought her flowers.  This illustrates how very different this year is from the year she was born.  Now.... daffodils.  Then .... highway shut down and many many many inches of snow.

I'd really like at least one big snow this year.  I'm crossing my fingers it's not too late. The forecast doesn't seem promising, but I'm holding out.  It's only the first of February, after all.

On her birthday we shared a delicious breakfast of french toast and bacon with Nana.  Just after breakfast, Nana got in her car and started her 10 hour drive back to NJ.  She had come down just for the party and to kiss this little face and neck.

After Nana left, Claire and I headed out to play a bit.  The library, the playground, the train at the old depot, an antique store....

We found a set of four sweet little cups and saucers at the antique store.  We will drink out of them soon.

This year, like last, I bought some already flowering bulbs (hyacinths, daffodils and tulips) for decorations for her birthday.  I plan to start a bed with them and add more each year.  A little birthday garden for Claire.

For now though, the house smells like hyacinths.  Like a sunny spring morning with clear blue skies and a slight chill in the air that makes you keep a mug of tea of coffee in your hands and a sweater pulled close even though it looks like you wouldn't need it.

All that's left to do now is for me to write her letter.  I decided shortly after she was born that I was going to write her a letter each year on her birthday and on Mother's Day and give them to her when she's older.  So far, so good.  Now I need to write that 4th letter.  (I did not write one the day she was born.  I was much too busy doing very very important things like staring at her.  And resting.)

Happy birthday, baby girl~  We love you so.