Happy Birthday Branik!

So my baby turned 2 today which is just completely unbelievable to me. He has been a little sicko for about a week now, but since Boone's parents were here visiting we did a little family "party" on Saturday that involved watching Branik cry at dinner and during cake time. He perked up after his bath and did much better when the presents came out, but seriously, how pathetic is this?


You can see how empathetic Rylan and Keaton were to their sick little brother...



All they really cared about was eating scary Elmo cake -- especially since this relatively small cake had 2 whole cans of frosting on it. I usually do better than this, but since a) Boone hacked this shape out of a 9 x 13 cake, b) I was exhausted after painting the huge front area of my house and re-doing our flower beds in the front yard, and c) we'd had sick boys all week which meant Boone and I were SEVERELY sleep deprived, this is what Branik got.


He readily identified it as Elmo when he saw it, so whatever. (Chrysta -- I totally kicked your trash in the "lame-cake-for- son's-birthday-department!)

Anyway, Branik likes two things right now -- Elmo and Thomas. Since Keaton likes the same things minus Elmo, I went with our furry red friend here to avoid WWIII over Branik having a Thomas cake. "Melmo" also made several non-frightening appearances during gift time which helped put a little grin on our little buddy's face (thanks Mom!)...


As much as he loved his Elmo stuff, he went beserk when the Thomas things came out. My boys were totally fine with generic trains until recently, but now I have had two separate friends tell me that when Branik comes to their house, he beelines for the Thomas trains, scoops as many as he can hold into his arms, and cries hysterically when anyone (Keaton) comes near him. So we finally caved and got some real Thomas stuff for him so he won't act like a starving kid at a buffet when he goes to play dates.

You can see behind the big train in the foreground that he has several new engines lined up -- this was moments before it occurred to him that Keaton could also see the new trains, at which point he promptly picked them all up and shoved them under the couch so only he could see them. I somehow missed a picture of that, but it was so precious to see how totally unwilling to share Branik is becoming. Awwww.

So that was Saturday, but today, on his real birthday, he thoroughly convinced me that he did indeed turn two.



Sorry for the unbelievably awful photo, but we were in crisis mode. (Note the bloody left nostril, which has become Branik's signature look since he decided that shoving his finger up his nose to the second knuckle is a great idea). Let's have a little quiz here, shall we? Is this child crying:

1. Because Keaton took his new trains away?
2. Because he can't reach his sippy cup of apple juice?
3. Because his mostly naked Mommy just hauled his behind into the house after Keaton came into the bathroom while she was showering, said, "Mommy, Branik is in the car", which made Mommy dash out of the shower all lathered up only to discover that said two year old is NOT in fact in the car, but has pushed a dining room chair through the laundry room and out into the garage so he could reach the garage door opener and is now standing barefoot at the top of the driveway by the street?

Anyone? Anyone?