Ell is TWO

E's birthday fell on a Saturday this year so we got to spend the entire day together as a family.  The older kids had their soccer games, but then we picked up E's Minnie Mouse birthday cake and headed to Katy for an afternoon of swimming and birthday fun!  We let E open some of her gifts before going to Katy and she was so excited about her Minnie sun glasses.  She'd been wearing the boy's SpongeBob sun glasses so I'm glad she has her own now.  But the one thing that she would not put down was her new baby doll and baby stroller.  I knew that she would enjoy a stroller because she likes to push her own stroller around with stuffed animals in it.  No one had to teach this little girl how to be nurturing and play with dolls.  It has come to her naturally.

While in Katy, the cousins swam together and E got this rash all over her.  It looked a lot like hives so we gave her some benedryll to help.  She didn't seem bothered, but it looked bad. 

note: sun glasses and baby doll

We ate, swam, sang Happy Birthday to Ell, swam some more and had cake.  After swimming we went inside and the cousins gave their gifts to E (and W).  She was showered with fun gifts from the cousins, but again, she was most excited about the Minnie Mouse lunch box.  This girl loves Minnie Mouse. 

I don't even remember what else we did in Katy, but I know that E feel asleep on the way home.  I'm sure she was tired from the excitement of the day, but I know the benedryll has that affect on kids too.  She had a great birthday and I can't believe she's 2!  She's my last "baby" and she not a baby anymore.  Quickly, before my eyes, she's turning into a kid.  She's silly and smart and very controlled.  She controls her speech and when she wants to use it.  She will not perform tricks or things upon command, and she has her opinions about almost everything.  She loves her siblings and wants to follow them around all the time.  She has a strong desire for independence which I'm not ready to give to her yet because she is my last baby.  I'm loving watching her grow and learn everyday.  She's small for her age right now but you know what they say...good things come in small packages.