Say woof if you love birthdays!

A woof-woof cake!

For two years now, Naomi has graced us with big smiles, big laughs and a big heart (she even knows how to share!). Plus, she no longer actively throws food on the floor and laughs about it. Time to celebrate a big birthday!

As the toddler has been an avid dog lover for about most of her life, it was easy to choose the theme: puppies. And it was easy to choose the guests, too--everyone in the house and grandpa. In fact, unless you count cutting a cake into two perfectly-shaped ears difficult (kinda), there wasn't much that was tricky about Naomi's birthday, and it was lots of fun.

The celebrating committee!

It started, as most things do, in the morning. When Naomi and her big sisters convened in the parents' bedroom for the usual morning playtime on the bed, Naomi was immediately showered with hugs and happy birthdays--no reminders required. And that was the first present--two of her own personal expert birthday celebraters to make sure the day was cheery and special. 

The big girls insisted on a special breakfast in Naomi's honor, so we cooked up some instant oatmeal (normal to you, birthday-worthy to us). Kalina and Elise both happily made sure Naomi had her favorite cup and bowl to use, which also totally made Mommy's day ("discussions" over breakfast dishes could at times wake the neighbors). And as Naomi had lots of little gifts to look forward to, we went ahead and opened a couple. One didn't work (eek!), so we opened another.

Naomi only requested a few specific things for her birthday--shaky eggs like they have at the library, and a dog. And when we opened the shaky eggs, the girl knew just what she wanted to do with them. She made sure everyone had one (thank goodness there were four in the package, and Matt was at work!), requested her favorite song on the CD player, and started running around shaking her egg, inviting us to do the same.

Birthday morning

So we did. Who wouldn't? We played with shaky eggs for a while, and after a bit it was time to go to the park. Naomi loves parks, it was a beautiful day, and we happened to find one that she could pretty much run loose in without me freaking out over her the whole time (something neither of us enjoy). It was fun to say yes to everything, specifically when she wanted me to run inside a couple of times to track down various stuffed animals as we were pulling out of the driveway. I love not making my kids cry. And it was fun to be able to cave without making the bigs jealous, because if there's one thing they understand, it's birthdays.

After the park, Naomi took a nap (after all, she personally doesn't understand birthdays quite enough to protest one yet). When she woke up, Daddy was home, Grandpa was on his way and her favorite snack (Goldfish and raisins) was being served. Things couldn't be better.

With help only on the technical stuff,
Kalina made Naomi a board book of
pictures of all her stuffies!

Naomi quickly caught on to the delights of cards and presents, and after intently and excitedly playing with each one, she quickly requested the next. "Another present! Another!" For the most part, the big girls did well at letting Naomi enjoy her cards and presents herself, and Kalina kindly fell into the role of card reader (even the hand-written notes!). But Kalina also found herself feeling jealous, and she and Elise mentally made notes (I could tell) to sneak off later with Naomi's new things to try them out without pesky toddler-birthday-girl hands interfering. After all, they're not so much bigger than the birthday girl that it's inconceivable for them to think this way sometimes.

Naomi knew exactly what to
do.

Although Naomi kept joking (I hope) and saying she wanted a "meow meow" cake, I made a "woof woof" one for her,  based on everything I know about my girl. It turned out adorable. The bigs had decorated the table and Naomi's chair with various dogs and other stuffies from home, plus a few decorations we'd picked up at the party store, and we ended up with a festive taco dinner (a rare dinner food Naomi will actually eat!) and celebration. While she needed help blowing out the candles (and received plenty), she knew just what to do with cake: use her fingers to lick off the frosting, and occasionally attack it with a fork.

As Part 2 of Naomi's birthday, the next morning we drove through a downpour to meet Grandpa at Purina Farms. Although the car ride was a bit longer than she wanted, she soon found herself surrounded by friendly doggies and kitties, and wearing a puppy shirt, no less. We pointed and petted to our hearts' contents, and the rain let up enough for us to watch a dog show, too. "Look!!" Naomi would exclaim. "Dog jump in water!!" She was in her element.

Just me and these dogs and my doggie
shirt!

Of course, Kalina and Elise, enriched by their allowance, couldn't resist the gift shop, and each picked out a tiny stuffy or two. Could we let the birthday girl go home empty handed? No one is that cruel. She got a tiny puppy and confirmed it was to "Keep!"

And so ended the birthday, but it was certainly a sweet memory, and Naomi is certainly two.

Naomi may be a tiny two-year-old, but there's nothing little about her personality. She loves dogs (woof-woofs), and can spot them from across a playground. We draw them all the time, and then we draw her, and then we draw her holding doggies, and then we draw Poky, and Aunt Nancy, and Daddy and all the rest. Naomi adds lines and circles and dots sometimes. But it always comes back to doggies. 

If you click on this, you'll see how
Naomi is making an actual tractor
noise.

She also loves her play kitchen, and making food for various babies and doggies. She adores going outside, reading books (even long ones, and often the fairy books Kalina likes), dancing with her big sisters and helping me sweep. The girl detests the vacuum, and occasionally my hair dryer. Naomi makes lots of jokes and sings songs, and is the first in the family to actually take an interest in doing pattycake the right way, and all by herself, no less. In fact, she can make her way through several nursery rhymes, with or without motions. 

Possibly even more startling for our family is the fact that Naomi loves playing with other kids, and does so seamlessly with social skills far beyond her age. She'll happily share with other kids (not as often in her own home--it figures!), engage in games and generally participate pleasantly. She puts up with the constant mothering of four-year-old friends, sometimes for hours at a time, and even drew a very shy 3-year-old out of her shell. I believe she's surpassed all the rest of us in peer socialization, with flying colors and a big smile on her face. 

Watching doggies dive, jump, catch and
look cute!

Except for the pushing: she pushes random small children on the playground, but in the cutest, most playful way possible. We will eventually learn that except for with the neighbor boy next door, playing doesn't mean pushing. It used to be worse--mere weeks ago she was pinching everyone smaller than her and even making them cry. Yikes!

Naomi can count a bit, wait her turn (for a teeny toddler amount of time, anyway), and continues to grow her vocabulary of animal sounds. Her actual vocabulary is certainly not far behind. She can say something hurts "very badly" in the cutest way, she'll good-naturedly attempt to repeat almost anything you toss at her and she can carefully and pretty understandably string together short sentences. The littlest is smart enough to tune into her big sisters, and knows that whenever they get a treat, she has grounds to demand one as well. If Naomi had a favorite color, it'd be purple. Elise seems okay with that, as long as Naomi doesn't claim the purple plate at lunchtime (which sometimes happens anyway).

We all love our Naomi and enjoyed wishing her the happiest of birthdays!

Every picture Elise poses for
nowadays includes this ballet
flourish. (Kalina diverted
Naomi while Elise sneaked
away with a popular toy to
make this creation!)

Elise adores blowing up balloons. There
were a lot at the party.