The Parties

By now you know that we Pattersons like a party. This includes our now two year old daughter, who seems to be completely thrilled by the reality of a house packed to the gills with all her favorite people. She's a chip off the old block. Add to the mix- candy, juice boxes, birthday cake, 'locklate (chocolate) milk, a little dancing and 60 people singing her name, and you have the recipe for one happy little lady.

This is exactly what Marin got at her birthday party last Saturday. We kept telling her who was coming and her little mouth would drop open and she would visibly gasp with excitement as we told her each person. It was if she was thinking, "All in one place?! At the same time?!!!" She had a ball. I almost never saw her at the party, because she was just running from person to person playing, saying hello and excitedly proclaiming, "I two!" holding up her pointer fingers from each hand, next to each other.

We packed the house with pink 2's hanging everywhere as well as balloons and lots of food and drinks. The basement playroom was a kids haven of toys and video games and dance party music. Only the bravest and the strongest parents ventured down there. I myself, only spent a total of about 15 minutes there the entire party. It was controlled chaos, and I don't think the kids would have wanted it any other way. The rest of the adults filled the main floor rooms, and I enjoyed traveling from room to room trying to catch a conversation with everyone.

When it was time to cute the cake, we all gathered in the dining room and Marin glowed as everyone sang to her. Then she blew out her two little candles and dug right into her cake in the traditional Marin fashion- frosting first. Quickly after she finished, she was off to continue playing.

Everyone brought presents, and Marin was thrilled to open these after the party settled down well into the evening, already way past her bedtime. It's amazing how quickly she has learned to open presents. She thanked each person that was there as she opened them, asked to immediately play with every toy, and wanted to try on every outfit right then and there. Grandma and Grandpa gave her her first bike, and she yelled "bike! bike!" as she unwrapped it. I think that may have taken the prize. She finally fell asleep around 10:30, after deep dish pizza delivery for the dozen or so family members who remained. Marin slept soundly, and I'm sure dreamt of a day this spring when she will be riding her bike outside with all of her friends; hopefully catching Jason or me in a weak moment, to provide her with more sugar.



The next afternoon my parents hosted a birthday party for Marin at their house for my extended family, since we kept the birthday party list to immediate family and friends. It was a much smaller group than the day before, but Marin was just as thrilled to see Gigi, Great Grandpa and Great Uncle John. Major bonus: Grandma and Grandpa had a Mickey Mouse cake for Marin, an Elmo balloon, a new plate and silverware like the 'dults, and an Elmo milk cup! Her two year old dream come true. After a delicious sit down dinner and Mickey cake, Marin opened more presents. When she opened Gigi and Great Grandpa's card, she pulled out a check inside and proclaimed, "Oooo! Money!!" I promise I didn't teach her this. That night we stayed up late again watching the Superbowl and snacking on yummy snacks at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Tuesday the 8th was her actual birthday. I started recounting "the day you were born" stories to her the night before as I tucked her in. I told her it was her birthday the next day, and by now, this prompted a spontaneous song and dance Marin rendition of "Happy Birthday to Me!" On Tuesday morning, Marin helped me make homemade "cancakes" (pancakes) after she woke up, instructing, "I cook, Mommy. I cook helping Mommy" as she stirred. We set the table for three and all ate breakfast together. Marin's pancake was shaped like Mickey Mouse, and the strawberries on the side had a candle to blow out. Jason and I sang Happy Birthday and she happily blew out her candle and dug into her pancakes with gusto. Shortly after breakfast, we left for school, pajama day. Marin wore new pj's with cupcake buttons since she was the birthday girl. I made sugar cookies with M's on them in pink frosting, and packaged them in baggies tied with a pink bow so she could pass them out to each of the classmates and teachers. Her teachers told me that when they sang Happy Birthday to her, she danced from side to side and beamed a great big smile. No surprise there. Marin fielded calls from friends and relatives all day to wish her a Happy Birthday. She told each of them, "Tank you. Bye. I'll too." (Thank you. Bye. I love you.) Later that evening, Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner and Daddy made homemade pizza and breadsticks. We had 'locklate and pink (strawberry) ice cream for dessert and again sang happy birthday and blew out two last candles. Marin had a few more cards and presents, the highlight again being from Grandma and Grandpa: Paige, an adorable dolly with red hair. Marin slept with her that night saying "night night Paige."

At times like this I can't help but feel incredibly blessed, not only for Marin but for our family and friends. They truly are the backbone of our lives. I honestly believe that we have the very best family and friends on the planet. Life would not be anywhere near the party, if it weren't for them to celebrate with. To Marin, to family, to friends, to turning two, to life!

She's Two! (Or, as Marin says, "I Two!")

Well, it's official. A two year old is living among us.

There were less tears from Mommy this year than last. Maybe in part because I'm not as nostalgic for the whole being-pregnant-with-you-was-amazing thing this year since her brother or sister was kicking and wiggling through the whole week. Or, maybe because she's getting older and I'm getting a little more used to her growing up. I know what you're thinking: Johanna? Getting used to change? Nah! In any case, I have two years ago today'd my way through pretty much the last 48 hours, including recounting how my contractions began on a Saturday night while Jason and I were watching (cringe) Pineapple Express. As Jason began to pack his bag I told him that they couldn't be the "real" contractions, because Pineapple Express was NOT about to become part of my child's life story. And yet here we are two years later. After a restless nights sleep and a call to the doctor at 6am to be sure I was timing everything correctly, they assured me that I should come in and have the baby. So, like any sane woman in labor, I took a shower, shaved, blow dried my hair, washed the dog, called a friend to say that I wouldn't be at her baby shower that day... and oh yeah, ran out the door to go have a baby. All of our favorite people gathered in the next few hours. It was the most wonderful day of my life. And about 24 hours later, our lives were forever changed. I will never, ever forget the moment I laid eyes on our beautiful Marin Jane.

Today Marin is a fun, lovable, cheerful, kind, happy, vibrant, beautiful, smart two year old who is growing and learning at what seems like lightning speed. She is the apple of our eyes and hearts.

True to form, the birthday celebrations were big and plentiful. They began, of course, with the birthday week, last Tuesday. That was a big day because as you know, it was her first day of school. The next day we were hit with what will undoubtedly be referred to as the Blizzard of 2011, where we got 2 feet of snow! We spent the week digging ourselves out, and preparing for the birthday party, which for me included baking and frosting 60 or so cookies, and for Marin meant staying out of the treat bags.

We ended her birthday week with three birthday celebrations (details in a post of their own, next), playing in the snow, sleeping in her big girl bed, a day of sledding for the first time, her first Happy Meal (I know, terrible, but she got the milk and apples and doesn't yet know that the carmel dipping sauce exists), a long bubble bath, and pajama day at school.

The past two years have flown by. It has been such a joy to watch Marin grow and discover and learn. I love the way she thinks. I love to watch her process. This will be another big year ahead for her, as she becomes a big sister. I can't wait to see how she reacts to the new baby, who, by the time Marin turns three will be crawling around her next party. Unreal.

In the words of Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Inevitable

Well, I knew this day would come (this is Molly, by the way).

Today, Marin’s birthday, I woke up just like any other day, and went about my normal schedule. Around 9am, I decided it was late enough to text Jo to wish Marin a happy birthday. As I was typing, a strange urge came over me: the urge to relay a “Two years ago today” story. Hence, today marks the day that I officially became my mother. My mom (like many of yours, I’m sure) has a ridiculous ritual of calling my sister and me on our birthdays (sometimes at the actual time we were born, which for me is the ripe old hour of 4am) and telling the “XX years ago today” story, which always elicits a groan and eye roll.

So here I am, dangerously close to the 9pm hour that Marin was born, thinking about Marin’s “2 years ago today” story. Completely ridiculous, especially given that Marin would have no idea what I’m talking about. But at least she can’t roll her eyes [yet].

Luckily for Marin, most of the story is written on this very blog, which prevents me from taking yet another step closer to I-am-my-mother-ness by embellishing the temperature, amount of snow, or number of hours we waited for her in the waiting room. Yet, somehow the feelings from that morning are still fresh in my mind: getting the call around 8am Sunday morning, cursing the Zipcar website (which was somehow down during the most important moment ever), freaking out at a cab driver, and finally breaking down in tears when I got to the hospital front desk. (Brian loved this 45-minute roller coaster of emotions, I can assure you). I guess this freshness is the reason my mom and I can’t help but attempt to re-tell the story every year, making it a little sweeter each time.

Happy birthday, Mare – here’s looking at you (and me), kid!

xoxoxo,
Auntie Molly

First Day of School!

Today was Marin's first day of school! We survived without managing to be effected by the blizzard that has just begun. For a minute there, I thought we might have had a snow day on her first day!

We've been talking a lot with Marin about her first day of school. But I don't think she understood anything that we said about school (to share, be kind to other children, say please and thank you to her teachers) except that she was going to get to play. And since its a play/craft based pre-preschool, that was just fine.

We kicked the day off with her favorite breakfast- peach yogurt followed by waffles and "Minnie Milk" (milk served from her Minnie Mouse cup). I packed her little lunch box up today with exactly what we would have had at home. My mom had the good idea to practice eating from the lunch box before she actually had to do it at school, so we had a practice round yesterday at home. Of course I put a little note in her lunch box for her. Given her age, I'm guessing this didn't embarrass her. (Full disclosure: my mom wrote on my napkin until I was well into high school and it didn't embarrass me even then.)

Jason and I both went to drop her off together and we got there extra early so that we could meet her teachers and the director and learn the ropes. Marin hit the ground running, literally- as soon as we got there she ran over to the toys and immediately started playing. When another little girl showed up I told Marin, "There is a little girl here, you could go play with her." Marin very happily shined up and me and said, "Okay, Mommy!" as if it was the best idea she had ever heard. The teachers joked to Jason and me, "Boy, you really don't have worry about socializing her, do you?"

When we left we were warned that she might get a little upset after she said goodbye, but not to worry- that they deal with that all the time, and she'd be just fine. Jason and I went to give her hugs and told her we loved her, and that we were going to leave and she just gave us each a big hug back and said, "Bye-bye Daddy! Bye-bye Mommy!" and ran off to play again. Guess I'm no one special. :)

When I came back to pick her up three hours later, she came running out to meet me with a huge smile on her face. Her teachers said that she did fantastic her first day! And, she made a new friend! Her new friend's name is Leah, and the two of them came running elbow to elbow towards the moms waiting to pick up. Leah excitedly told her mom, "Mommy! I played with her!" pointing to Marin.

When we got home, Marin got a special treat- chocolate milk- and a first day of school present. The present was Minnie Mouse socks and a Minnie Mouse bracelet. She loves them, and put them on immediately. We go back to school on Friday, and I think Marin is excited already!