Jay's New Look

Grandma bought Jay a baseball helmet after he put it on in Toys R Us and wore it the entire time we were there. He loves it even though it is several sizes too big and he wears it backwards. Lately he has worn it out to lunch, to the grocery store several times, and to pick up Cole at school.

He also has developed a fondness for carrying purses. It is completely hysterical when he wears both accessories at the same time. (Grandma Carlene, you may notice that Jay's purse used to be yours. I'm not sure if he'll give it back to you when you visit. He does pay you tribute though and says "Ya-ya" every time he wears it.)

Cole's 4th Outer Space Birthday Party

Whenever anyone asked Cole what he wanted for his birthday, the only thing he said was "a real rocket ship that I can sit in and steer." Not quite something we could pick up at Toys 'R Us. So Rob went to Lowe's hoping to get a refrigerator box. However, refrigerators don't come in boxes anymore, so we were out of luck. But the grandfatherly guy working asked Rob why he needed a box and got a bit misty-eyed when Rob told him he wanted to build a rocket for his son's birthday. He gave Rob the biggest heavy-duty sheet of cardboard I've ever seen. Within an hour, we had a brand new rocket in our backyard.

Going with the rocket idea, we held an outer space party at our house. The rocket was a huge hit with both the kids and parents. Poor Rob was on repair duty all afternoon with the duct tape and spray paint. The guy wires were added after a handful of kids crowded inside the rocket and knocked it over, giggling hysterically the whole time. Once the sun started going down it got a little chilly outside, so the kids designed space scenes with foam pieces until the pizza arrived.

The rocket cake was a hit also, but I wish I had been more careful with the frosting. Some things shouldn't be done at the last minute. Note the kid in the red shirt sitting next to Cole with his eyes on the cake. He managed to blow out a candle before we even finished singing Happy Birthday. I was proud of the way Cole handled it. He just waited patiently while we relit the candle then blew them all out.

My little guy is turning into big boy.

Jay's 2nd Birthday Party at Gymboree

Finally, the pics from Jay's Gymboree Party. The birthday boy had a blast, as did all his friends. He was so enthusiastic about everything--bubbles, maracas, balls, and especially the cake. As we sang Happy Birthday, Jay leaned in to get closer to the cake and about fell in it. Everyone sighed with relief as he regained his balance, especially the Gymboree girl, who had a look of sheer panic cross her face at the thought of wearing the cake. All in all, it was a great way to bring in the Terrific Twos!