Timmy is Two!

It has taken me a little while to post anything about this all-important event: Timothy's second birthday.  I know, the little one always gets shafted.  We celebrated a couple of days early, with Grandma Joan and Grandpa Bill.  Timothy took it all in stride, and lucky for us, Liam did too.

I made Timothy a puppy cake, to resemble his favorite stuffed animal, a dog named Uff.  It turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself, in spite of having to wing it on a few decorations.  (I put Fruit By The Foot on the grocery list, and failed to specify it should be red for the dog's tongue, so Will came home with blue, and we had to substitute an apple peel.)  Timothy sure got a kick out of it.

Liam had been fretting for weeks about this birthday, and I finally got him to tell me why.  On his birthday, we had let him stay up after Timmy went to bed, and we had cupcakes together - just Liam and Will and I.  This was really special to him: his own private party, with the full attention of both parents, plus sugar.  Well, Liam was convinced that on his brother's birthday, we were going to make him go to bed early, and then have cake with Timothy, leaving him out.  Once we talked about this, he was okay with letting Timothy be the star of the day.

And what a star he is!  Timothy is earning a reputation as the ham bone of the family.  He likes to imitate people and goof around.  And, he is finally starting to talk.  For a while, I thought he might learn to read before he spoke, because he was so interested in the alphabet.  Recently I overheard him saying A, I, L, A, R, T, S, U, A.  I glanced in his direction, and there he was, pointing at a map of Australia.  So yes, the kid is hooked on phonics, but can he say "no" or "more"?  Of course not.  That would be too convenient.

Timothy is such a darling kid, I can't imagine how we ever lived without him.  He has given me a few scares - like when he lit a burner on the gas stove, and climbed the book shelf - and many, many hugs and laughs.  Thanks for two great years, little dude!  I love you more than words can say.

Here are some pictures from his birthday party.  (I noticed Will is never in any of them, because he always has the camera.)

Clockwise from upper left: Grandma Joan showing the kids a video of themselves on her iPod; TJ checking out his Uff cake; Mama and her 2-year-old, Timothy keeping an eye on his cake; Close-up of the cake; Grandpa Bill & Timothy; Liam icing his lip after too much birthday silliness.  And in the middle, there's the birthday boy, with lunch on his face.