Look Who Is 2!

Looking back at last year's 1st Birthday Bash!

Breakfast for the two year olds!

Riding the elevator at Matt's work. For some reason they decided to sit down today.

Getting ready to cross the street to Matt's work with their flags.

Holding their crosswalk flags. In the town where Matt works, it is very pedestrian friendly. You hold a flag and stand near the street and every car screeches to a halt! It's fun to watch traffic stopped as my crew meanders across the street. Most of the drivers are amused, I haven't been glared at yet.

Courtney and Gracie outside the door of Matt's work.

The people in town are VERY much in love with their dogs and like to bring them into the bank. In an effort to get people to leave the dogs outside, Matt installed some "doggie rest areas." I think the girls are the only ones who use it:)Gracie posing in front of the slide, Courtney refused to have her picture taken. She's getting in her two year molars and has been rather moody the past few days.

Posing with their new dolls

Kirill and Alex gave the girls these dolls for their birthdays

Pictures are in reverse order of the events of the day. Sorry, it's way too much trouble to try to re-order them.

When you are two, the things that thrill you are sometimes rather ordinary, but still they thrill you. For Gracie and Courtney's birthdays (today and tomorrow), we are doing things that they love to do. No, we are not only eating fruit snacks and mac and cheese 24/7, we have thrown in a few other items as well. The girls still don't understand the concept of birthdays other than candles and cake and presents so we're just spreading out the celebration over their two days of birthdays and when they get older and understand that they have birthdays on separate dates, they can choose if they want individual or combined celebrations.

So this morning started off with the boys giving them their new giant dolls. They loved them and have been hauling them all over the house today. Then we went swimming. They even got to go down the slide due to almost no one being at the pool, a kind lifeguard and the fact that it was their birthday. Both enjoyed the slide, but it was also kind of scary for them. Neither of them wanted to do it again, but proudly reported their ride to Daddy. The slide is two stories high! Alex won't even go on it. They each had one ride down on my lap by themselves.

After the pool, we headed to another favorite spot, Daddy's work! They ran in and requested their suckers. Only children of bankers can be so particular in their sucker selection. Gracie requested, "Bubba gum" and Courtney wanted "pink." Daddy's work also provides excitement in the form of the elevator ride and the flags that are used to cross the cross walk. All sorts of excitement when you are two!

After naps (which they are both fighting more and more:(!!!!), we headed for more two year old fun, dinner at McDonalds! Gracie loves "hamburga" and will eat an entire hamburger. She could care less about the fries. Courtney, on the other hand, will chow down on fries like there is no tomorrow. Both love to drink out of cups with straws, but they are most interested in getting their cups open and eating the ice. After McDonalds, we headed over to the store to pick out their ice cream to go with the cake tomorrow. Gracie chose chocolate "Make a chocat shake" she said while making the shaking motion with her hand. One day I made the boys homemade shakes and she heard the word and took her cup with shake in it and started to shake it. It is very cute. Courtney chose Mint Brownie. She's a daddy's girl and loves "Daddy's ice cream." Ice cream cones at home, and a giant tickle fest ended the day. Thanks to everyone who called to wish Gracer a happy birthday.

Tomorrow will be exciting with more gifts in the morning (a trunk of Princess dress ups), playing outside (if it's warm enough and not snowing), more swimming (with Daddy this time) and finally mac and cheese dinner with a pink princess cake and ice cream. Pictures of the cake to come!

It's hard to believe my little ladies are two! They've grown up so much and it seems like it all happened so fast! They are both so sweet and smart. Many times they are considered as CourtneyGracie or GracieCourtney, but they are as different as night and day and have such individual strengths that I don't worry about them overshadowing each other. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring them. More pictures tomorrow as the Birthday-Palooza continues!