Coloring and Cookie Crumble and Spinach Lasagna

Sam helps mom make spinach lasagna

When you're two years old and your mom tells you there will be a party to celebrate your birthday, you don't really know what a birthday is or what a party might mean. And you're not sure why she keeps trying to get you to say "Two" when she asks how old you are. But when you're two, almost everything is a reason to be joyful... even clearing the driveway or making spinach lasagna. Sunday afternoon during the critical time period between the toddlers' afternoon naps and the season finale of Survivor (Russell was robbed), we had some friends over for food and fun and football and all the chaos that ensues when more than 3 toddlers are in one room together.

The Happy Birthday song was a little scary.

Sam's best bud Lucy arrived first, and we had a few quiet moments to get comfortable before the rest of our guests arrived en masse. Sam took a little while to adjust to all the bodies, big and small, in our little living room, and we hid out in the kitchen and ate spinach lasagna and fat fresh raspberries until he was comfortable. But the party was a big success, and Sam enjoyed every second of it... from the messy cookie crumble cupcakes with dumptrucks on top to the peg puzzles of farm animals and police vehicles to the helium balloons that floated to the ceiling and the friends sitting around the table laughing and scribbing and drawing Sesame Street characters. Sammy got a little scared when all the big people stood around the table and stared at him and sang, but when I crawled into bed last night I thought about how I cannot remember ever being so happy. I thought about how truly blessed I am to have this boy in my life and how two years ago I never could have imagined I could love my little man as much as I do.

Check out this link for pictures of the party and the pre-party preparations.

The cupcakes were delicious!