Tuesday birthday blogging

Speck turned 2 recently, with a party full of grandparents and balloons (and don't forget the presents! presents now, yes?). Given that I was doing a stint of solo parenting leading up to the event, I'm more than averagely proud of pulling off decorations and a cake...


(conjured a little spring amid the slush and cold...)


Cookie Monster, as rendered in cream cheese frosting and colored sugar...

Of course, Speck didn't eat any of the cake, and she asked Mom to blow out the candle, but she did love the singing as the thing was brought in. Really, she'd been building up anticipation of a heap of presents for several days, and she couldn't hold it in long enough to be polite about the other fol-de-rol....

Anyway, somehow we've become owners of a 2-year-old. So far, it's not at all Terrible, but rather Enchanting, but we have a whole year to regret the hubris of my saying so...