BUGGIN' Out and TURNIN' Two!

This past weekend another little girl in our house moved up in the world. She didn't even ask our permission or anything, just went on ahead and turned two.

Also went on ahead and looked it while she was at it.
When dreaming up her second birthday party we knew it had to be at the park, weather permitting. Maddie is our climber, jumper, twirler, runner, dancer girl. Add in a little sunshine and some swings and she's pretty much good to go for as long as you'll let her be.

Her and her bare feet.
We also thought up the buggy theme not only because it's cute and easy to work with, but believe it or not, Maddie loves to look at bugs. Though she's an on-the-move kind of girl these days, she's also got this careful nature about her... always has. In learning to walk I can hardly remember many stumbles. So she is with little critters... caterpillars, ladybugs, beetles. Bonus is that she thinks they're sooo funny.

Maddie tends to think a lot of things are funny, which is bonus indeed.

And so we had a morning at the park with a bunch of her little friends. It was an overcast morning and breezy, which was an unexpected gift. I was a little bummed that there was a big ball tournament going on next door because I envisioned a quiet, almost sleepy like environment... but that's okay. We turned up our Seeds' family worship CD, played on the playground, ate buggy basket snacks, went on a bug hunt, and dug into "dirt" cups for dessert.







Best of all, our middle flutterbye had a blast and we hope her friends did too!

After all the thoughtful guests left, we stayed on for a while just the five of us. Alysse was still sleeping from an early morning wake-up, Hope read and counted bugs and chatted with Daddy, and I got the chance to slow down and talk with Maddie while she swung. We talked about the original day of her birth, about all the details I hope she noticed from the day, about what we liked best. Then she started singing and I video-taped what we named her "Birthday Song."

We finally headed back home and everyone rested, while I slowly unloaded the car and set up Maddie's presents (that we always tell folks not to worry about bringing!) When the stirring began, Joe took the big girls and some coupons to get our favorite pizzas from Papa Murphys... spinach and pepperoni for the girls, chicken bacon artichoke for us... while I curled up to nurse Alysse. Upon their return home Hope had fallen asleep in the car, so we let Maddie open her gifts at her own slow pace without big sister to-- ahem-- help her along. Alysse was awake for this part and she gave us a couple of showstopping grins as a reminder that she likes parties too.

We soon woke Hope up, ate our pizza, and then went for an evening walk (that got a little too ambitious, I might add). It mattered not because we trucked it back with the promise of homemade watermelon lime popsicles.

We make good on such promises every time.

Why all these last details? I suppose it's because we love parties, the weeks of searching to make the frugal hoopla, the excitement of friends gathering to blow out candles and play and have a grand 'ole time.

But we also love sweet family time. Sure sometimes there are dirty diapers, time-outs, whining, and sharing ordeals during this sacred time. But so much more often,especially in afternoons and evenings such as these, this magical spell is cast. There is rich laughter, hugs, conversation.

There is family.

This one just wouldn't be the same without you, Madison Elise. Happy birthday, our fun-loving girl! You're as sensitive as you are spunky, as athletic as you are girly, as smart as you are silly, and sweeter than you are stubborn (though two has given you a surprising new outlook on stubborn, we must say). :)

We love you so.
~Daddy and Mama