Robbie is 2! (a very long post)

Robbie turned 2 years old on March 15th!  We really don't know where the time went but we're so thankful for these 2 wonderful years with our sweet boy.

Robbie's Birth Day...

Hello, little one!

(I really can't believe that he was actually this LITTLE once.)

2 years later... our growing boy!

We decided to celebrate Robbie's birthday on Saturday, the 13th, since Rob's parents were able to fly in and spend the weekend with us.  We kicked off the party day by going out to brunch at one of our favorite places, Egg'lectic.

I was feeling brave and confident in my recent attempts at dining out with Robbie, but as soon as we settled into our booth I had the sinking feeling that this was not going to go well.

1st indicator: the booster chair they gave to us for Robbie was too unstable on the cushioned bench, and we had to wrestle him back out of it and stick him in a high chair on the short end of the table... inches away from Ellie.  It was funny to look at them sitting next to each other and realize that we really do have 2 kids this little and close in age!

It ended up being a rainy, gloomy day... which was great since we didn't have to worry about feeling guilty about staying inside and enjoying the party all afternoon.  The downside was that there wasn't much natural light to work with as I took pictures, so the quality of these photos is really poor.

I wanted Robbie's party to reflect something he's really 'into' right now... and the choice was easy.  Monsters, Inc. is his favorite movie and the colors are so vibrant and the theme was just irresistible.  I could have chosen Thomas or trains, but frankly, I'm a bit burned out with the train situation.  Ha!

However: lesson learned.  Monsters, Inc. is actually an older movie, and so there is NOTHING in stores related to the movie!  As I wandered the aisles of Party City and Target, I realized I was going to have to get creative with my chosen theme (as I lamented the Thomas table runner, party horns and hats, pinatas, and plate sets!).

Always up for a challenge, I found a few Sully and Mike Wazowski mylar balloons online for a few dollars, ordered balloons in the signature aqua / periwinkle / lime green colors, decorated cupcakes to look like eyeballs, and my mom (who just happens to be the most phenomenal artist!) hand painted a 3 foot tall poster of Mike and Sully!  We had a lot of fun decorating the edges of the poster together with random crafty items.

The only picture I have of Rob and I with the birthday boy!!  It makes me laugh so hard every time we try to get a decent posed picture.  It does not exist.

You'll have to click on this picture so that you can see the great painting my mom did up close!

Robbie wore a shirt my friend Heather made for him - Mike Wazowski in felt!  How cute is that!?

Ellie enjoys the perks of being a little sister - playing with big brother's new toys.

I think she was going in for a good chewing here.

Especially precious - Robbie's cousins James and Nicholas, who live in NJ, sent a home made DVD of themselves rapping Happy Birthday to Robbie!  It was hilarious and the next best thing to having them here with us.  Robbie was entranced.

Robbie got a few things that will allow him to mimic Daddy...

A lawn mower, which apparently was low on gas...

...and a shaving kit for the bath tub (how did he know exactly what to do, and that you need to look in the mirror to get a nice, close shave!?).

He definitely gets his concentration from his Dad.

After opening the rest of his presents (which took entirely too long, thanks everyone for sitting through that painfully slow process!), we ordered pizza and busted out the cupcakes.

The decorating of this cupcake has easily consumed my idle thoughts for the last month.

Fondant finally helped me achieve the results I was looking for!

(Yes, I'm nuts.)

This was definitely the highlight of Robbie's entire weekend - everyone singing happy birthday to him, sugar in excess, and fire present.  He even thought the party hat was fun.

We did this over and over for a good 5 or 10 minutes!

Party Animal.

The bow was just the perfect size and I couldn't resist!

You are the best present ever, little guy!

It took a little engineering by Daddy and Papa Livingston to get the new GeoTrax pieces to fit together to expand our current track - Robbie has an idea though!

Rob's on-the-spot joke:  "How many people named Robert Livingston does it take to put a toy train track together?"

(Answer: Hopefully not more than 3, because that's how many we have.)

Time flies when you're playing with trains.

Robbie was in his personal heaven!

The always-entertaining view finder, but this one has animal sounds to accompany the images!

At the end of the night, as if he knew this was his chance to capitalize on the fact that this was HIS day, Robbie begged for 'just one M&M!'.   You know, because he wasn't all sugared up already.  Occasionally I will let him pick ONE M&M out as his treat after dinner.  So we decided, what the heck.  After an entire cupcake, gobs of presents, and more stimulation from all of your relatives in one day that a 2 year old can possibly handle, what harm can one measly M&M do?

Waiting patiently for his prized M&M (seen in Rob's hand as he descends the stairs)...

Oh yeah.  It's THAT good.

Can you tell he has nearly lost his sanity at this point in the evening?

Then things started to get crazy.

I absolutely cannot resist telling you that this picture was taken immediately after my mom announced that she had pulled a stomach muscle trying to get into a standing position from sitting the way Robbie does.  (We were all trying it, some more successful than others!)  Laughing that hard was a great way to end the perfect 2nd birthday celebration for Robbie!

Thanks to all of you who made this such a special day.  It was so memorable!

It's good to be almost 2

Robbie cracks us up with all of the phrases he is picking up and repeating.  

Here are a few of the things he has said recently...

"I like 'em BIG... I like 'em CHUNKY!" (Moto Moto's song in Madagascar)

"No fight a bib, Ellie"  (repeating my request when Ellie wouldn't let me bib her at lunch, 'don't fight the bib, Ellie'!)

"Daddy pancake!"  (Rob and Robbie's newest game - Rob flattens Robbie underneath him like a pancake  - ha!)

"Lick it..."  (Robbie enjoys leaning down and licking the food on his plate before meals, and announces when he is about to do it)

"Engine rumbling, smoke chuffing, wheels squeaking low" (his new favorite book checked out from the library - "Train" - he knows most of the words already)

"Daddy wrestle", "Daddy steamroller", "Daddy go gym" (requests and observations related to daddy)

"Daddy fix a potty, fix it tools" (our toilet had a little leak so Rob was repairing it yesterday as Robbie narrated the situation)

"Juice cup - FIND IT!" (now where did I leave that darn juice cup? I'm thirsty!)

"No paci table, counter" (before every meal he repeats the rule 'no paci's at the table' and places it on the counter)

"Catch him, grandpa"  (apparently my mom and dad were playing chase with Robbie the last time they came over and watched him, because Robbie keeps telling me about catching grandpa)

Also helpful is Robbie's newfound ability to climb up into his booster chair and buckle himself in.  He helps me wipe off his hands and mouth (careful not to forget to wipe his messy tongue, of course) after meals, and rarely passes up the opportunity to help me wipe Ellie during diaper changes.  What a good big brother! 

And that's what Robbie is up to right now!

Relatively speaking

It was a balmy Saturday afternoon out here in the Chicago suburbs!  Meaning, the sun was shining, the wind was nonexistent, and the temps rose to heights we haven't seen in months... the mid-40's.

So we bundled up the babies, went for a walk, and ended up at the neighborhood park.  After a quick assessment (let's be honest, once Robbie laid eyes on the park we didn't have a chance), we determined that it wasn't too soggy or wet to play.

If Robbie and Ellie could caption this photo, what do you think they would say?

Robbie is going to LOVE parks this summer.  He loved them last summer, and he wasn't even the most confident walker.  Now he can run, climb and slide by himself.  I can't wait!  Endless hours of entertainment.

It's confirmed: his affection for the swings remains.

Ellie got to experience her first swing ride, just as Robbie did when he was little - bundled up, and at the same park.  I love that they both love to swing.  Ellie's still a bit tiny for the swing, so I wrapped her blanket around her waist to help keep her from slip sliding around in there!

I like to call this one "I have 2 kids in baby swings!"

This little girl loves life!  And I love her.

Rob, take a picture of me and Ellie!  I never get pictures with her...

Awww... my handsome boys in the sunshine.

Robbie insisted on walking home.  He made it another 50 feet or so before melting down and returning to the stroller!  I love how little he looks next to Rob.  One day I'll be taking a picture of the 2 of them walking and he'll be as tall as Rob (or taller!?).  And I might cry.

I'm so glad these are the days of little babies and swings and parks.

Life is so simple... relatively speaking, of course!

Fabulous Friday

We decided to start our weekend fun a little early and headed to the Children's Museum (again), this time with my mom.  It was a good move to be the first ones in... it got crowded and crazy fast!

Hundreds of Robbies?!  Yes, please!

Ellie finds a soft corner for little ones just her size.

Enamored with her own reflection (a new concept, when it is beneath her!). 

Why do I love this hat so much?

Robbie joins Ellie in the mirror tunnel and we made our own baby kaleidoscope.

The boy loooooves his water.

He figured out that if he put his finger in the center of the spout, it would shoot water across the table directly into Ellie's stroller.  (Are these things innate in older siblings?)

Check out that concentration...

Trying to fly (?) in the wind tunnel!

Another great DCM trip, and certainly not our last!

(*Thanks, mom!)

Ambitious

To do this weekend:

1)  Teach Robbie acceptable table manners.  (*And try not to laugh in the process.)

2)  Introduce Ellie to another new whole food (vs. pureed).  Get over the fact that this is a slower process for her than it was for Robbie because of her sensitive system.  Stop worrying that she will be a picky eater for the rest of her life as a result.  

3)  Blow a boatload of kisses back and forth with this guy.  At the very least, one per day.

4)  Plan out a new activity that encourages Robbie and Ellie to interact with each other.  

5)  Refrain from ordering the largest possible poster print of this image and plastering it somewhere unacceptable in my home.

Happy Friday!

Terms of endearment

Robbie's favorite movie right now is "Monsters, Inc".  It plays in our van on repeat.  Dare I admit that he knows many of the cues and will recite lines and scream along with the monsters throughout the film!?

He caught on to the pet names Mike Wazowski and his girlfriend Celia have for each other.

And this morning at breakfast, our little conversation went something like this:

Robbie:  "Monsters!  Googlybear!  Schmoopsie-poo!"

Me:  "Yes, Celia calls Mike Wazowski 'Googlybear', and he calls her 'Schmoopsie-poo, right?!"

Robbie:  "Uh-huh" {nodding yes}

::pause::

Robbie:  "Mommy talk Robbie - Googlybear!"

{He often says 'talk' when he means 'say'}

Me:  "Oh, Googlybear!" {just the way she says it in the movie}

Robbie:  "Mommie Schmoopsie-poo!"

::pause as I put together what he means, and make a guess::

Me:  "You want me to call you Googlybear!?"

Robbie:  "Yeah, ok!"  {nodding yes, smiling shyly}

Me:  "And what do you want to call Mommy?"  {testing out my suspicion}

Robbie:  "Schmoopsie-poo!"  {with a huge grin}

Seriously!  This happened.  We have been calling each other by our new pet names all day.

And a good day it has been.

"Googlybear"

"Schmoopsie-poo"

You'd miss her, too.

Dear Aunt Kelsey:

Among other things (loving, beautiful, sweet, positive, endearing, patient, kind, joyful, hilarious, pure), 

you are always a good time.

It's been over a month.

We can't wait for you to come home from TU again...

...Robbie especially!

He's got a big slobbery kiss waiting with your name on it.

XOXO,

The Chicago Livingstons