Two Turn Two

Max and Charlotte celebrated their second birthday about a week and a half ago.  It was not the grand affair that their first birthday party was, but it was exciting nonetheless!  Just as we did a year ago, we had a party with plenty of friends, presents and birthday cake!  This year we held a smaller party at the neighborhood park in the late morning/early afternoon (thus avoiding difficult bedtime conflicts and extensive post-party clean-up).

Charlotte posed with Brenda for a few pictures ...

10 November 2012

... as well as Brenda's daughter, Gabby.

10 November 2012

Many thanks to Brenda and Gabby for bringing the Elmo birthday cake!  I'm sure it needn't be said that it was a big hit.

10 November 2012

I hear it was delicious, but I never did get to enjoy a piece (not that I'm complaining or anything ...).

Chalotte and Max consider what they're going to do with all that cake, while Dean (left) and Reed (right) look on.

10 November 2012

Charlotte gets together with the big girls: Livi (left) and Annie (right).

10 November 2012

In the meantime, Max was having fun on the playground.

10 November 2012

Not pictured but also in attendance were Grandma Judy, Geraldine and Chris, Kim, Cindy Jo and Ronan, Henry and Czarina and their son Peter, as well as Max and Charlotte's playground friend Quinn and Quinn's nanny and parents.


Charlotte and Max inspect some of the cool new presents they got.

11 November 2012

It is quite clear that Charlotte now grasps the concept of "the present", as she kept asking for more, even long after that particular well had run dry.  I don't know if Max really got it; he was too busy playing with his new toy garbage truck.


The night before their birthday Grandma Judy, Jenn and I took Max and Charlotte out for a tapas dinner at a new Spanish restaurant in Old Town.  (No, really!  They pounded down jamón and marinated olives.)

11 November 2012

After dinner Max blew out the candles on their birthday desert, as Charlotte was (fortunately, from a self-preservation standpoint) a little too scared of the burning candles.


And the fun didn't end there!  We had a small celebration on their birthday at home.

12 November 2012

Grandma Judy sang "Happy Birthday" to Charlotte and Max.  And lit the candles on their birthday tart (with berries!).

12 November 2012

Max had to blow out the candles again, as Charlotte hadn't yet gotten over her fear of lit candles.

Happy birthday, Max and Charlotte!  We (and so many others) love you more than words can express!


--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)

All Hallow's Eve 2012

Last year, Jenn conceived of and created Max' and Charlotte's Halloween costumes.  This year Charlotte and Max conceived of their own costumes.  Jenn "just" created them.

31 October 2012

31 October 2012

Charlotte elected to be a pink bunny; Max wanted to be a piggy.


While trick-or-treating on Oakland Avenue, Max and Charlotte (and Jenn and I) ran into our friends Peter, Czarina and Henry.

31 October 2012

Max, Charlotte and Peter, dressed as Humpty Dumpty, investigated up close the inflatable jack-o'-lantern and ghosts which had been the objects of Charlotte's and Max' obsession over the previous two weeks and which, until this evening, they could only inspect from the safe distance of our car.

31 October 2012

31 October 2012

I just couldn't decide which of these two ridiculously cute pictures to post.

31 October 2012

So Jenn didn't just create one or two handmade costumes.  She put together three costumes, as we decided that Max didn't love the color of his first piggy costume (the first one was less pink).  Amazing!

We all had a great Halloween, even though Max and Charlotte didn't really get into the swing of trick-or-treating.  They were quite content to run around in their costumes.  But don't think for a second that candy wasn't part of the experience.  I didn't get a picture of Charlotte during the sugar-fueled high that kept her awake well after 10:00pm.  That's a good thing, I think, as we can focus on the above pictures by which to remember Halloween 2012!  I wonder what they'll decide to be next year ...

--- Shawn (for Jenn and Charlotte and Max and Lucy and Rufus)

PS -  Thanks to Peter's mom, Czarina, for sending us these beautiful pictures of Charlotte and Max!!!