Lela's (second) 2nd Birthday

To commemorate Baba and Shushu's first visit to our new San Antonio home, we decided to celebrate Lela's 2nd birthday.  True, she actually turned two in July...but she didn't know that since we didn't tell her.  Sorry, kiddo!  It's the cupcakes and singing that counts, though.  And we had both!  We also had my Uncle Dave and Aunt Anne visit from Austin.  We tried to take family photos, with only moderate success. 

There are very very few photos where in everyone is facing the camera. 

Lela got cupcakes - the yardstick by which she measures the worth of a birthday.  This year it seems to be tradition for her preschool classmates to supply the class with cupcakes on the day of their birthday, so Lela had enjoyed a dozen birthday cupcakes in the last month as just about every child in her class is somehow born in July.  Thus, Lela did NOT want cake.  She demanded cupcakes for her party. 

It's funny - Lela is kind of a neat freak.  Well, she can still wreck a room like a hurricane, but she does not like messy stuff on her hands.  I've suggested that perhaps she should get better at eating with utensils, but that's a lesson not yet learned. 

Shushu brought this adorable dress from her recent trip to Panama.  I didn't get a great photo, but it was all hand-embroidered and had a little attached purse.  So precious! 

Lela loved all the attention, but she LOVED the gifts!  This little girl really raked it in on this birthday.  Shushu and Baba brought a high chair and swing for Lela's dollies.  Dave and Anne brought a little stuffed kiwi bird (now christened "KiwiBird") from their recent travels to New Zealand (Hi Leslie!), which Lela loves.  But beyond doubt, the best present of all was the play kitchen, lovingly built by Grandpa Rick and his assistant/decorator Grandma Connie.   

This kitchen set is amazing!  And Lela plays with it for hours a day.  In fact, I've got so many pictures of Lela and the play kitchen that I'll save them for another post. 

I'm slowly catching up with our photos so look forward to more blog posts!  I wonder how many of you are still checking this?