two!

He's been saying for the past six months that's he's "doo!!" (his universal syllable for everything .... command/request/question) so it's time to make it official because today is Theo's second birthday.

doo fingers.

Theo's current hobbies include: brushing his teeth nine times an hour (with the "spicy" grown-up toothpaste that even Julia and Sebastian won't touch), waking up long before the sun, sitting on the counter in the kitchen whenever any sort of cooking/baking is going down, bathing as often as he is allowed (hourly, if possible) and following his older siblings around like the dutiful shadow that he is. If presented with the choice between an episode of his favorite show (Curious George) or the opportunity to help me clean the bathroom ... the bathroom would win ten times out of ten. He loves to clean and is about as helpful as you'd imagine.

I often catch him throwing something away and clapping for himself in the absence of a clappy parental audience because apparently our standards for showers of audible praise are very high. He loves to bang a ditty out on the piano and then come running to find me and look at me expectantly until I give the appropriate amount of kudos and clapping before he goes running back to serenade the lucky house yet again. His favorite food is butter by the spoon or handful.

A few weeks ago we were walking out after dropping the kids off at preschool when the director waved goodbye in our direction. Theo ran right up so she bent down to say hello and he planted a kiss of the french variety directly on her stunned mouth then he turned and walked out ... business as not usual. He waves at almost everyone he encounters out in public but if they wave back he retreats into his shell turtle style so I hope Mrs. L felt sufficiently loved and honored.

Okay, that's quite enough ... mothergusher.

Happy happy birthday Theo!! Thank you for being so enthusiastic about picking out clearance Christmas cupcakes at the store yesterday for your big day. I promise we'll do a tiny bit better next year when you might care a tiny bit more.

Probably, maybe.


ps Theo's birth story & Theo turns one