Two Cute for Words

A week or so ago, as I was drifting off to sleep, I was struck by a sudden realization: two years may seem like no time at all, but in reality it's [more or less] a full 10% of the time I have with Edward before he moves away from home. TEN PERCENT, people! If you do the math, 10 X no time at all = no time at all!

I don't consider myself a great mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that isn't very long. Who knew that Edward's second birthday would bring such panic?

Not that the day was so very bad, mind you. How could it, when we started off by picking up his favorite present of all from the airport this morning: an Aunt Kati, all for him. (Well, I've been sharing her a little. And maybe Robert's had a snuggle or two.)

We also spent some time tossing around water balloons with Benjamin, a friend of his from the neighboring apartment. The balloons were a last-minute impulse buy, and I still feel mildly guilty about contributing so readily to the planet's ever-increasing stores of plastic waste, but they were very much enjoyed.

And let us not forget the presents, cake, and general merriment that went on til bedtime. Actually, we enjoyed the dinner and cake so much that we nearly forgot to do presents at all. He ate all of his dinner happily (rare, for him), and enjoyed eating his cake without spoon or hands, doggie-style. (Where does he come up with these things?) We were contemplating a walk to finish off the day when I suddenly realized that we hadn't given him his presents. (Oh, yeah! Those things...)
It's a good thing we remembered, because he loves them all, primarily his new trains -- compliments of Mom, Dad, Aunt Kati, and Grandparents Bobo -- and an anthology of Virginia Lee Burton books -- compliments of Grandparents Miller. Following in his father's footsteps, Edward very quickly decided that Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel is one of the best books created. Its profusion of trucks makes this a foregone conclusion, I suppose, but he particularly enjoys picking out the little boy "Mike! Look!" whenever he appears.

So, my little boy is now two: hopefully I can lay off the panic long enough to enjoy him in all his goofy toddler glory. And, really, that isn't very hard to do.