happy colin to you!

Happy birthday to my little two-year-old! He has loved singing his version of the birthday song for Dan, Mae, and me while we celebrated our birthdays over the last couple months, and today it was finally time to sing, "Happy Colin to you!!"

Colin is chatting up a storm these days. Of course he's learned the essential phrases that come with having a big sister, like "my turn" and "NO!" After any accomplishment, like crawling to the top of a slide, he yells "I did it!" He's curious and inquisitive and always asking, "What dat??" When we are in the kitchen he yells, "I see it!" and demands to be lifted so he can see what food is being prepared. He's especially good at asking for food, including his favorites: chicken nugget, hoddog (hot dog), mahna (banana), i-keem (ice cream), and chokkit (chocolate).

His favorite color is yellow. It might just be the only color he knows. Everything is yellow. His favorite activities is whatever Mae is doing. He idolizes his big sister and she loves taking care of him!

Colin loves playing "Oh no, attack!" He climbs all over me yelling, "oh no attaaaaaack!" Then sometimes he is the victim and I smother him with kisses and tickles while he belly laughs. His other favorite game to play (with Mae as his partner-in-crime) is "Ew ew ew." Mae and Colin slowly crawl towards me while I yell things like, "Ew Ew Ew! What is that?? It's so gross and furry! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH IT'S TOUCHING MEEEEEE!!!"

Colin goes to bed around 7:30 p.m., wakes up around 7 a.m., and still takes a nice long nap in the afternoons. He sleeps with a pillow, a blanket, his two pachis (pacifiers), his stuffed animal Owlbert, and a cup of water which he must witness being filled every night right before bed OR ELSE. I have acquiesed to this request, but drew the line at his insistence that I wash the pachis every night under his critical gaze. Not happening. We read two books (usually about cars, trucks, or farm animals), and sing "Skidamarink a dink a dink" before bed. He's just recently started recognizing letters and points at words saying "B-C-D!" He loves when we sing the ABCs (or BCDs, I guess).

He is certainly earning the nickname of "our little Sour Patch Kid." He might just have turned two today, but he has been practicing his tantrums for at least a few months now. Most of the time he's even-tempered and cheerful, but occasionally, and often for no apparent reason, he is all screaming and flailing limbs and rage. Fortunately, when he's sweet, he's sooo sweet. He loves being my big helper. He especially likes to "shop! shop!", unpack groceries, and change laundry. He's overcome his fear of the dustbuster and vacuum and likes to help me suck up all the discarded bird seeds from Kiwi and Blueberry's cage. "Bird! Eat seeds!"

He's loving summer so far. We've made a few more trips to the pool, and could definitely spend all day at the splash pad ("pashpa"). He was even brave enough to attempt swimming in his new puddle jumper, though he promptly tipped sideways and his face went in the water. (He was mostly unfazed.)

Happy birthday to my sweet, silly, snuggly little kiddo! We love you to bits.