Happy Bir-Day, Mimi!!!

Miss Mimi Darby turned two years old on Sunday, August 1. Let the madness begin! We've been talking about her birthday for a couple of weeks now, and she was sooo happy to hear Clint and me sing Happy Birthday to her when she woke up that morning. She usually loves to join in when she hears the song, but she just grinned really big and acted surprised that we were singing to her.

So what exactly does a two-year-old monkey do on her birthday? Go to the zoo, of course. It was our first family adventure to Lincoln Park Zoo, and I was so impressed. For Mimi's birthday we bought a membership, which is basically just free parking since the zoo is already free (but parking can be up to $30 if you stay several hours, yikes!). So Mimi got parking for her birthday. Just what she's always wanted :). Her favorite animals were the bears, and she loved watching them swim. This zoo has more grassy areas to run wild than the Memphis Zoo, so I know it will be a great place for her to burn off some energy in the near future.

And I cannot wait to be able to use the fancy double stroller because this little umbrella is for the birds. It might find its way to the garbage when baby Mack arrives . . .

After a fantastic nap, it was time for cake. Now this was a very special cake because Mimi's Aunt Mary Claire (Mer Cwair) ordered it for her from Bleeding Heart Bakery, which is a block away from my house. It was the perfect size for our little family and Mimi could not wait to dig in -- lots of fussing while waiting for us to get everything ready.

She also had some sweet presents from family. Olivia and JR sent Mimi a Webkins bunny that she loves. Bunnies are up there with Yo Gabba Gabba for her.

They also sent a fun card that had their voices recorded on it and then played "Celebrate." She opened it and closed it at least a hundred times.

But one of her favorites was her bracelets that her Shug sent. She took them on and off . . . and on and off . . . and stacked them and threw them and tried to put them on Daddy . . . and then did it all over again.

Overnight Mimi has become a little lady. She loves to dress up in her fairy princess costume, play with my hair and is becoming a little sweeter to her baby dolls (she hugs them and pats them before throwing them now -- we're getting better). A few days ago I found a Barbie travel vanity kit that I bought for Olivia several years ago. I wasn't sure if she would even care about it, but as soon as she saw it she threw her hands in the air and yelled, "Oh WOW!! Make-uk, Mommy! Make-uk for Mimi!"

Then she sat in the floor for an hour as I showed her how to use all the brushes and hair dryer and paint her nails.

But . . . she's still a monkey and decided her tongue was more interesting than the pretend make-up she put on her face.

Some highlights of Mimi at 2:

1.) LOVES to sing: "Twinkle, Twinkle," "ABC's," "Baa, Baa Black Sheep," "Ring Around the Rosies," "Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," "Happy Birthday," "Wheels on the Bus," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Happy and You Know It," and all the weird songs on Yo Gabba Gabba

2.) Watches way too much TV. This is so my fault, but I don't feel way too guilty. I've had many people tell me that their 2-year-olds don't have the attention span to watch 5 minutes of a cartoon, but Mimi can sit through an entire movie with no problem. This began during my first trimester when I was sooo tired and it was the only way I could keep her in the den while I napped. And now at 36 weeks pregnant I have no energy once again, and thank goodness for Nick Jr. So her favorite shows are Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, Clifford, and Curious George. She also has some movies that she watches in the car on long trips and will beg to watch them as soon as we get in the car. Winnie the Pooh, Curious George, Toy Story 1, Finding Nemo, and Veggie Tales are the favorites right now. She sings along with the songs and says the lines along with the characters. I see this as building her vocabulary and helping with memorization . . . and keeping Wild Thing busy so I can have a little break (guilty, as charged).

3.) Loves to give BIG hugs and kisses -- to me, Clint, family, Ruthie, and random other children . . . whether they want it or not.

4.) Says some really funny things. She will make a big mess, throw her food on the floor, knock over blocks, or turn off the TV and look at me very sad and concerned and say, "Oh no, Mommy. Wha' happened?" Her newest phrase is, "Aw, Man," and she totally learned it from me and says it at the funniest times. She also has a funny voice she just started using when we moved here. She talks in a really deep voice and makes her mouth round and will say something like, "Hey Mommy. What doing? I go upstairs, ok?" in this really, really deep voice. Then I'm expected to respond in the voice or I get in trouble. And Mimi likes to tell me that she is "Trouble." Sometimes she'll do something bad (we're in the throwing stage),and she'll then say, "Mimi's trouble!" So proud of her bad little self.

5.) Loves to go to the park and asks for it about 5 times a day. The first day we went to the new park in Chicago I led her to the smaller toddler side, and then she ran to the "Big Kid" side . . . and went down the tallest, steepest slide. Okay, now that we conquered that I guess I don't have to worry about staying on top of her . . . except to keep her from pushing. Ugh, pushing. Her teachers at Roulhac's claimed she never pushed at school, so why does she do it in front of me? She doesn't like anyone to get in her way or invade her space and pushing is the best reaction that comes to mind. So I get on to her and she runs up to the victim and yells, "SORRY!" and then runs off like a brat.

6.) Is a fantastic sleeper. She sleeps from about 8:30 at night to 7:30 in the morning and takes about a 2 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon . . . but HATES for me to try to get her to nap. She fights me and kicks and yells, "No, Mimi play!" This completely wears me out so I usually get a few minutes of sleep after I put her down.

7.) Has some favorite toys. The new ones are her "make-uk" kit, fairy princess costume, and bracelets, but she also really loves her Little People barn, house, and bus. She makes them get on and off the bus and use the little potty. I love to hear her conversations with them, which is basically her repeating things I've said to her that day.

8.) Loves to eat. And she usually loves to eat good stuff like fruits and veggies, but has also become a big fan of Mac and Chees and French fries. As long as I can get some green beans and strawberries in her for lunch, I don't worry about the French fry dinner she might have at a restaurant.

9.) Has become a sweet little friend to me. I love that she can talk to me and tell me what she wants, and she seems concerned when I am upset. We go to lunch together by ourselves at least once a week, and she is always really good (minus throwing a couple of crayons). Sometimes when we meet someone she points to me and tells them I'm her mommy like she's so proud of me. And she also seems to be a good little buddy for Clint. She cannot wait for him to get home in the afternoon and loves to hang out on the couch with him . . . and climb all over him . . . and jump on him until he yells, "Ow!"

Since this was Mimi's last birthday as an only child, I think it was appropriate that it was just family with her on her special day. She will probably never remember not having a little brother or living in Memphis either, which is a little bitter sweet. Although I am completely worn out at the end of each day with her, I am so grateful that I have these last few weeks of my pregnancy to spend with her alone all day. Even if she is a whole lot of trouble . . .