Happy Birthday, Version 2.0

We had Jameson’s first second birthday yesterday. (his second second birthday will be on Wednesday, with the Baker family!) Jameson wasn’t sure what this whole birthday thing was, but he knew there would be a “PARTEEEEEE” and “BABAPA” would be there (Baba and Papa, combined into one easy word). This was enough to keep him excited. (Alex, however, being much more savvy, knew that there were cupcakes and presents involved)

Stefan and I slaved away on Saturday, making pierogies. This is a traditional Ukranian food (and maybe a few other ethnic origins too), and is essentially a boiled dough with a filling of some sort. My favorite filling was a cheesy-potato mix with onions, but for some reason Stefan and his family are convinced that vile sauerkraut is a good filling! Bizarre.

Anyhow, we worked for quite a long time on Saturday (we made too much of the fillings, apparently, so we just kept cranking them out) until we made TWO HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE of them.

But it was all for a good cause, because once we were seated outside, with family surrounding us, eating the wonderful pierogies and watching the kids bounce all over the yard, I’m not sure I could have imagined a better way to spend an afternoon.

Jameson survived the ritual singing and blowing out of the candle, and then was quick to grab a cupcake for himself. A few bites of frosting, though, and he was off to bounce around the yard some more… must be hereditary because his brother treats cupcakes in essentially the same manner… makes me wonder if I should just skip the “cake” and fill the little cups with frosting!

We also had some very juicy strawberry pie (not sure what happened to the recipe this time around) with Alex was kind enough to cover in whipped cream, per each individual’s request. In fact, he had been waiting ALL DAY to use that canister of whipped cream. Aunt Angie provided some wonderful coffee cake, which paired perfectly with freshly ground decaf, and made the afternoon even better.

But, then on to the more serious pursuits… the PRESENTS. He only had a few, which was just so perfect. Three presents, and then he was back in action. I thought this picture captured his delight...

Alex found a better use (in his opinion, anyway) for Jameson's new chair.


A FIRE ENGINE PUZZLE! He doesn't realize that it's just a hand-me-down-toy, and with his sweet disposition he probably wouldn't even care. He was quite delighted to help Daddy set up the puzzle in the living room.

After our guests left, Alex was anxious to get to Target to spend his present of cash from Pop. He had been saving up for another BIG Lego set, and with the latest installment from Pop he was ready to go. Jameson went along for the ride, and Stefan indulged him in another gift. His excitement was so extreme---on the ride home, during the unpacking and untying---that it caused us to pause and realize that we have never bought him a NEW TOY! (I mean a little trinket here or there, but never anything that he picked out himself!)

And here's Alex, so absorbed into the world of Legos that the leftover tray of cupcakes doesn't even get a glance. He had to buy a smaller set than the one he really wanted (Target didn't have it), and so I bet he'll still get it done by the time we leave on our trip tomorrow.

Haha! I can't even look at this picture without smiling... the little curl of his hair, the frosting around his mouth (he had just devoured more frosting) and his expression. Apparently he has learned to say "CHEESE" when he have a camera out, so he came towards me with alarming speed, yelling the famous word.

Happy Birthday, Jameson!