Welcome to the Jungle

Our house officially has a 2 year old! Riley has stepped into that infamous age of "terribleness". While this age gets a bad rap, we think Riley has never been cuter. Yes, she is getting stronger opinions, but she's also able to express that opinion more clearly. She can communicate just about anything she wants or needs at this point and it's just so fun to see that she has a little personality. As Britt will often comment she seems like such a grown up kid, until you see the diaper. She really has started loosing the little baby face and tummy and it's so sad and sweet at the same time. She has started to have that "do it by myself" toddler attitude. Just the other night Ben was trying to show her that the shorts she was trying to put on were inside out. When he reached for the shorts to fix them Riley grabbed them away saying with her whole soul, "No, no, noooooooo!" It was clearly a look into future toddler stubbornness we will get to enjoy.

For her birthday we invited over the one family that we have included in our quarantine circle her in Maryland. They have a son that is turning two in February and I get along well with his mom. We basically use each other as our only social interactions, they moved here for residency this summer as well. So, for Riley's birthday she got to open presents, have Owen come over, and eat a cupcake. There really couldn't have been anything better. She asked me if "friend Owen" was coming over every other day that week. 

In this video you'll see Owen and Riley's relationship at it's most vulnerable. Owen had unwittingly grabbed Riley's most precious possession. White. You'll see Riley attempt to handle her sweet puppy being in another child's hands, but quickly decide she can't handle it. 

Sooooo speaking of cupcakes...I'm not one who wants to spend money and time decorating the house with cute birthday decorations, but I do occasionally enjoy baking. So even though there was no theme to this birthday party I went all out on my cupcake decorating! I've decided that I'm going to make that my tradition for kids birthdays. I will decorate cupcakes based on whatever they are into at the time. If you don't remember my amazing owl cupcakes for her first birthday you can check them out here.

I chose Minnie this year because I figured I could find a pretty simple design. Riley is into a lot of things, but she definitely has been won over by that mouse and his friends. I don't understand why it is just innate in children to love those characters! Maybe the crazy high voices appeal to them, but Riley got a Minnie read-to-me book for her first birthday and she has loved that thing to pieces. It has quite the tape job holding it together at the moment. 

Grandma Jack gave her this pretty dress for her birthday. She was so cute twirling around in it! 

Normal Hugs

BIG Hugs

Our little girl LOVES the outdoors and walks so we figured a bike was in order...

Turns out it wasn't the BEST idea.

Trying to get a family pic with the birthday girl...every time the camera comes out in goes the finger.

This face cracks me up.

Calling it good.

Riley and her favorite Aunt Bo.

There are many reasons to celebrate this sweet little two year old girl. One of the reasons is that she's nice enough to be fulfilling both of her parent's dreams. Riley has recently started requesting I play her favorite primary songs to her on the piano every day. We will sit down and I will play the song until she is ready for a new one and she'll flip through the pages searching for the pictures she knows belong to her favorite songs. She hasn't reached the next level of singing the songs with me, but I'm sure we are getting close. Riley also loves to score goals with her dad. When he gets home from work and starts kicking the soccer ball around she comes running and delights in trying to make goals with him. Really? What more could we ask for??