Eloise's birthday

Eloise turned two today. It was a special day. When you'd say "Happy Birthday" to her, she'd respond, "Hap Boo-day!" like it were a greeting or something. And she'd point up to the tissue paper banner we put over the bar separating the kitchen from the family room. I wanted her to feel special and loved all day. I tried to hold her when she wanted me to and play with her and follow her around when she'd pull my finger. She just likes being up and seeing what I'm doing, especially in the kitchen. She wants to know what's being cooked and how it's been cooked.

Conley was so sweet to her. He said, "I want to make Eloise more presents." (We'd written/drawn/colored a book for her and glued some sticks together to make a "house," but he wanted to do more work on that; also, it was his idea to write a book for her. It was about airplanes, "because she loves 'em.")

Eloise loved the park. I'd made blueberry muffins and washed strawberries, and we met Mai and Cho Cho (and their families) at Hanscom Park. Besides the park being kind of dirty and grungy, it was a great time--after we picked up some trash. The kids loved it and the equipment was original and nice. Eloise wanted to do swings a lot of the time, and everyone loved the muffins. She kept saying, "Mommy! LLLook! Mommy! LLLooKKK!" so deliberately. She says that even if I'm looking. It's so funny. She also kept calling Graham "Gam." And she'd also say, "Donny, Look!" to Conley.

I made her a cake. Yesterday I took her on a "date" while Conley was at Thomas's house. Man, it was so fun. She picked a Confetti cake and strawberry frosting. And I got a "2" candle; it was green. I applied the cake-making tips from Sarah Broat, and wow, they worked! The cake was the best I've ever frosted! It stayed together and all that. Anyway, about yesterday, I just love spending time with her one on one. I realized in the last few weeks how different my attention to her is as compared to my attention to Conley when he was her age. I equally adore them, but my focus during her life has still largely been on Conley--we go to the park because he wants to, we do an activity because it's good for him, etc. I am going to add more focus on Eloise, her desires and her development. It helps Conley too. And even if it doesn't, she deserves and needs that, and I need to show her that attention. (I'll add, she still seems totally fine, despite kind of being a tag-along rather than the main event or whatever...)

We got her little girl makeup. It's real, but mild: lipstick, roll-on perfume, and lip gloss. And she put it in her special backpack after opening it. She also got a microphone and a bunch of clothes; Conley's book, and a book about women in the BoM from Aunt Jamie. She was delighted with all of them.

I said this during Rose and Rose while eating cake: every day of her life she has simply delighted me. She has brought laughs and smiles to my face and so much buoyant joy to my heart. She's an angel. She's funny. She's so cute. I love her so much. She and Conley are my world. Thinking about her as a tiny baby...she was just so sweet and good. She loved snuggles and still does. I love that about her. She just melts into you when you hold her. And she stays so close when you sleep with her.

I just adore having a girl. She lights up my life. I love spending time with her, and I want to spend time with her my whole life and her whole life.

Lately with Conley

I tell you what WOW. Conley  has been an angel among angels lately. I love him so much. I went to  ABQ this last weekend for Nohemi's wedding, and I missed him so so so much, more than Joseph or Eloise--although I missed them a whole lot too.

Today Eloise was grumpy and crying in the car, and Conley saw some coins. She loves coins ("Mon-nee, mon-nee!") and so he picked up a quarter and handed it to her, "Here, Eloise. Money!"

On the phone while in ABQ, he said, "I miss you, Mom! When you are coming back?!" He melts me.

And he ran up to me when I cam to Beth's to pick him up when I got home from the airport. He usually hides because he doesn't want to leave her house.

He came in this morning with Joseph's lasso around his shoulder and a cowboy  hat on his head and said, "Mom, I need a cowgirl."

He helped me load the dishwasher today and loved it.

He loves snuggling with me. He says things like, "I want you!" He wants one more story. He loves listening to stories.