"two!"

Just a couple sweet faces...

... and a video of them announcing their ages (it's a bit of a new trick for Clement) which can be found here.

brighten up!

The guest bedroom upstairs got a fresh coat of paint, top to bottom.  

You *might* be able to guess who picked out the new colors...

Actually, to clarify, she chose "pink" and "purple".  Yours truly then chose the colors.  If she had chosen the actual shades of said pink and purple, you would currently be suffering an ocular migraine from viewing these photos.

In the end, all parties are pretty happy with the results.  Can't say pink and purple are my cup of tea, but I can get excited about fresh white paint on the ceiling any day.
And pink and purple are definitely worth her delighted little squeal when she saw it "put together" this morning... "Oh Mom!  It's so CUTE-- I didn't know it would be so CUTE-- I really didn't know it!!"

:)  Better'n Christmas, folks.

turning two thrice: Austin edition

In Austin, we did a little family celebration officially on Saturday, with a breakfast and some swimming...

"There they go setting fire to my food again..."

He loved Granny Holloway's card (the dog said Woof, woof, Clement.)

Clearly mommy has an agenda...

never too old for snuggles

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Today is Clement's actual birthday.  So I let him use the special-day plate at lunch, but that wasn't enough.  Oh no, unbeknownst to me, Josephine had already decided we needed to have another family celebration at a very specific time:

Not just 2:00.  2:10.  Both hands on the two.  Clement is turning two.  It must be this way.

"Oh, what?  Now I don't even get food?  You're just setting fires now.  Sure, Mom, this is normal."
"Look, talk to your sister about it.  It's 2:10.  There's no 2:10 meal."

So he blew out his candles, and then he needed kisses.

aw GEEZ, Mom...

little bit of two year old sass

little bit of two year old sweetness

As one might have expected, the 2:10 celebration included some sort of performance, which was MCed by Josephine.

Sadly, I'm still not sure what exactly the show was going to be about, because Clement rudely interrupted his own celebration by chasing a large blue balloon all over the "stage", which was entirely against the rules according to the MC, and which ended catastrophically (he's okay) because he errantly judged the last pounce and landed on his face.

Which meant the 2:10 celebration segued nicely into nap time.

Stay tuned for the third birthday edition:  Teague, coming this weekend!

misc Bedford

Doesn't take much to please this crowd.  

Trucks...

Bouncy balls...

Dogs...

Legos... 

(Speaking of which, she's a fiend.  They were gifts to Clement, technically, but neither of them have left the Legos alone since they were acquired.)

Look what I made, Pa!

Just your average schooling of the uncles in bocce ball...

Show 'em how it's done, Josephine!

Swinging...

Legos, the pants-less version...

MOTHER, don't take my picture-- I'm not wearing any britches.
Yes, why IS that, son?
Because, blocks.
ah, I see.

turning two thrice: Bedford edition

We celebrated Clement turning two in Bedford with my family the weekend of the 19th, a joint party with Janell, who was turning 31.  

Like my aunt said, it's more fun this way-- sort of like Christmas!  

And Janell's enthusiasm was certainly contagious, which was good because Clement ended up rather wiped out for the day, with a fever of 101.7 and next to zero interest in anything we tried to feed him or give him!  :(  

The above pictures are some of his only happy moments from the morning, when we were still trying to keep some momentum to his half of the party.

But he pretty much looked like this the rest of the time, sadly, so we ended up relenting (no forced celebrating!) and put him down for a nap...

my siblings looking appropriately dismayed at the news of Clement's fever

Birthdays: that time of year when adults insist on setting your food on fire and singing about it.
Please people, someone just give me some Tylenol.

He didn't want a slice, he wanted the whole container, and to eat it with his straw.
And when that didn't work, he wanted a nap and PLEASE SOME TYLENOL. 

Clement on Tylenol, post nap.  Doing MUCH better.

The rest of the day was pretty hunky dory from there on out...

Josephine's first use of a power tool!
She did excellent, especially considering the hefty battery pack.

you know it's been a good party when...

Happy Birthday to Janell and Clement!!