We had a your family over today for your two year old birthday. You were like a little wood nymph running around the backyard in purple – catching Frisbees and digging in the dirt with your cousins with a big gigantic smile on your face. You were picked up and kissed and thrown around by everyone and you love the attention from your grandparents and uncles and aunties and no one can resist kissing and hugging you.

You love to invent stories – you pretended Leo’s magnet blocks were an open book and stood in the kitchen with me and your dad for twenty minutes before bed tonight telling us a detailed story about the daddies and the babies… “And then do you know what happened? …”

You’re pretty demanding these days – need to do everything “by myself.” You like to pick your own clothes are trying to get dressed all by yourself. You like to buckle your own carseat and want to brush your own teeth and clear your own plate like leo does.

You love to sing and dance with leo. You know all the Shabbat songs and demand them over and over again in the car. You talk and sing yourself to sleep at night – baby beluga, and Shabbat day, and ask over and over again for the “hamburine song” “yellow submarine. You are confused between submarine and tambourine.

You love puzzles and are doing the over and over again until you master them. You love to ride your bike and received a new one from grandma Joanne for your birthday. I pushed you on the trike down the street to aunt liz’s house and tonight and you loved it – signing at the top of your lungs all the way down the street. You love your baby dolls – you have detailed requirements of who should be in your crib every night – piggy and doggie and babies galore. You like to dress them, and put them to sleep and give them rides in your pretend stroller. You wave goodbye and go to play group or the park or school.

You mostly sleep all night, but sometimes get up and need to be tucked in, you still have middle of the night tantrums sometimes and early morning one often in our bed. You like me to make you warm milk in the mornings and still nurse for a minute or two before bed. And ask for it regularly. You’re so attached to all of us and have unique relationships with me and Leo and your dad. You seem so mature for two and understand how to tell stories, pretend play, tell jokes, and take turns. You have such a mature command of language we’re so proud of you and in awe of you.