Happy 2nd Birthday, Sweet Charlie!

Today our little guy turned two. And he was so proud of it. All day long, he kept saying, "I two!" on command.

We started the morning by getting ready for church, but changed our minds after listening to the kids cough and hack, and went to Krispy Kreme instead. Charlie definitely knows what donuts (no-nus) are, and was very excited!

It was sunny and in the 60's, so we played outside nearly the entire day. Tonight, we celebrated with a fun birthday dinner, gift opening and a special birthday cake that Madeline made just for him. We re-lit the candles a couple of times just for fun. Afterward, we all played on the floor with his new train set right up until bed time, then washed all the mulch out of the kids' hair,  scrubbed the icing off their faces and said good night.

Charlie, honey...you're a little ray of sunshine in our lives with your silly expressions, the sweet way you say "I love you," and your streak of blond hair. You say thank you whenever we give you a kiss, and when you give us a kiss, you pucker your lips so far out that they touch your nose. You are a ham in front of the camera, and you're 100% boy -- every night, you wrap your arms around a race car to fall asleep the way your sister clutches her favorite doll. Your temper tantrums are impressive, but they are also heartbreaking to watch -- you have so much to tell us and you just get so frustrated. Since the day you were born, I have continued to be impressed by the quiet way you can entertain yourself; you're almost always singing (E-I-E-I-O, Twinkle Twinkle and The Wheels on the Bus are your favorites). We love you, dear sweet boy. You are a true gift from God.