Hank turns two

Hank turned TWO last Thursday! We had a simple, fun day. I was inspired by my friend Tara, who, on her birthday, turned her heater up so her house was as warm as she wanted all day. I love this great idea and want to incorporate it in our birthday celebrations. Not necessarily the heater, but doing something really nice for the birthday person that they always want but isn't realistic for everyday. So, we borrowed a bouncy house from my friend Jen, and let Hank (and Jed) bounce all day. It was a HUGE hit!

 We had a little picnic for lunch, and then the boys got to eat some Sour Patch kids for a little treat.

 Hank didn't want to be alone outside, so I sat on the blanket and watched the boys bounce for about 3 hours. It was so nice to just hang out and watch them play. They had a fabulous time!

Originally I had planned on having a few of our friends over for cake and ice cream that evening. But we have just been going like crazy for the past couple of weeks, and we were exhausted. I was secretly relieved when two of the three families we invited were unable to come at the last minute--that sounds horrible, but it is true. And then, when I went to take the cakes out of the pans after they had cooled and they broke into pieces instead of coming out clean, I cried, and then I let the remaining family know that the "party" wasn't going to happen. Thankfully, they responded graciously and I was able to relax. Probably eating some of the pieces of broken cake helped too.

 Since the boys loved the bouncy house so much, we had presents and cake pops outside.

 Hank loved the cake pops. I have never made them before, but they were surprisingly easy, especially since I had some leftover frosting in the freezer and was able to use that, and since I always keep some almond bark in the pantry for "dipping emergencies."

 Mmmm, my favorite kind of treat--easy, delicious, AND cute.

 Cute birthday boy!

 The camera died as we began opening presents. Hank got lots of books, a Lightning McQueen car from Jed, and some little Anna, Elsa, Kristof, and Olaf dolls, since he loves Frozen.

 He loves to point at the dolls and say their names. 

I am so thankful for this sweet, funny boy. Hank is such a great addition to our family! These two years have flown by and I can't imagine life without him. Here are some cute pictures of Hank lately:

 Hank has entered a very clingy phase. He cries if I am out of his line of sight, he has to come in the bathroom with me, he refuses to take a nap in the afternoons unless I hold him and sing to him. I used to have to hold him all through his nap. While I don't mind holding him, I felt so bad for Jed, because nap time is our special time. Also, I can't sit for two (or more) hours without my legs falling asleep, needing to go to the bathroom, or just plain getting bored. I tried for a couple of days to bring a book, but Jed kept coming in to ask me things, and I wasn't getting meals prepared or anything. It has been rough. So, I now hold Hank and sing to him for a few minutes, then put him in his bed and scratch his head and sing to him until he's asleep, and then sneak out of the room. I love snuggling with him, and I love how much he needs me. It's nice to be appreciated, even if that appreciation means I can't ever go to the bathroom alone.

 I bought a new laundry hamper for the boys' room. Hank thought it was a pretty snazzy hat.

 Hank was SO excited about all the blueberries we picked!

 I love those dear little cheeks.

A family we know in the neighborhood moved, and their mom asked if our boys would like their slide, since they couldn't take it. Of course we said yes. The first day we had it, it had rained outside, so the boys played with it inside. I love Hank's outfit here--shirt, diaper, and rainboots.

Happy birthday, sweet Hankers! We are so glad to have you in our family and love to watch you grow!