Megan turns Two! (Take Two)

It seems with our celebrities lately, it has become de rigueur to have weeklong festivals to commemorate the stunning achievement of nothing more than the day they were born. And, well, it should then come as no surprise that Megan has become a big enough diva to require several fetes in her honor. Although I must say in lieu of a birthday cake, we got these 'cake drops' from a local business and they were DEElicious. They're basically flavored doughnut holes dipped in chocolate.

(Megan's grandparents and one of her great grandparents)

In fact, aside from our cookie cake celebration of the three of us last week, the rest of the family honored Megan this week because my parents were able to drive up from St. Louis for the festivities. It meant a lot for me to have them here, so I'm glad they could make the arduous journey.

(Her friend Gizmo even came from DC to see her)

Even though the party was limited to just family members, we still had 13 people over at our house. And though earlier this week I thought we hadn't really bought that much for her, the present opening ceremony took well over an hour to complete. I think we're definitely scaling back next year (but that's what I said last year, and well, here we are. So who knows.).

(Megan filming her PSA for safety while using power tools)

She received numerous gifts that fell at various points on the subconscious gender role scale for appropriateness for a two-year-old girl. If you'll recall last year I am doing everything I can to keep my daughter from becoming an extreme girlie girl and more of a tomboy. So the tool belt kit, plastic golf clubs, and medical kit all seemed to be breaking free from the gender stereotypes little girls are placed under. But when she also received 'dress up heels', a vacuum cleaner (I confess, we got her that ... but she had seen it at two other friends' houses and played with it, so it was really more of an effective cost/play ratio we were going for., honest.), a hair care/makeup kit, and a peekaboo doll w/ changing table, it is obvious I'm resigning from this fight.

I think it happened somewhere in the middle of having my daughter apply fake lipstick on my lips and getting my nails fake-painted that she's going to be who she'll be regardless of the effect of some of these toys. They probably have some influence on her, but then she also sees me doing the laundry or washing the dishes, and Jillian using a hammer and power tools and I know those images will count for something within her head as well.

(My girls sharing a moment before blowing out the candles)

At two, I literally see that 'sponge' effect taking place in her head and I begin to worry that my parenting abilities are about to be firmly tested. These are important times, and while I'm not the guy who will be scheduling her days as if she's applying to Harvard next year and extra-curriculars matter, I am the guy who wants her to be well-rounded. For her to know how to play a musical instrument, write in complete sentences, and have a modicum of athletic talent are important to me. And those are things that are handled with some good ol' fashioned, hands-on parenting and play on my part. I just hope she likes what I have to offer her as much as what that plastic baby doll does.