Hello everyone!  I hope your week is off to a lovely start.  I am taking a break from invitation assembly (Hi J&C!!) to catch you all up on my favorite two year old (gasp!!), Olive.  I wrote her a 2nd birthday letter but never posted an official 24 month update here.  I decided that since so many of you enjoy the updates, I would continue sharing them here but perhaps slightly less often.  😉  So, here is the latest in the world of Olive from February 12-April 12, 2014:

• We celebrated Valentine’s Day as a family — first with a toddler/mama party and then with a dinner out in San Luis Obispo
• Olive spent a few days with her Halmunee (my mom) while I went on a wedding planner escape!  They visited the Santa Barbara Zoo, took walks on the beach, and just enjoyed one another.  I am so grateful for their sweet relationship!
• We enjoyed many great park days.  Olive still can’t get enough of the “baby slide.”  She also loves climbing the nets and the curved monkey bars.  She is brave and persistent and I love watching her try new things at the playground.
• Olive encountered the magic of Disneyland and hasn’t been the same since.  She still talks about her meeting with the Mouse.
• We celebrated my 30th birthday with some dear friends and Olive spent most of her time sharing snacks with the puppy, Ruby!
• Olive turned TWO and we celebrated with a simple home party with family and friends.
• We had a joint March birthday celebration with two of our friends: Blake and J5 (and mommies Melody and Christina).  It was  a great time of getting all our favorite families together for açai bowls and a bounce house.
• We have been enjoying our backyard and sideyard and all the new vegetables and fruits we’ve planted.  (Garden update coming soon!)  Olive is always eager to go outside with Daddy and help pick arugula and kale for a salad, or check on the “wiggly worms” in the raised beds.  I still can’t stomach the sight of a caterpillar so we’ll leave that task to the two of them.  Ugh!
• The Kaisers came to stay for a weekend and we had a blast.  Olive loved playing with Grace and Jasper — she is always so quick to make new friends.
• We visited the San Luis Obispo Firehouse and Olive went NUTS for the “fiyah en-jun.”  She was so eager to put on her little fire helmet and buckle herself into the truck.  It was hard tearing her away from the station!!
• Funny phrases: “That’s right, Mama!  Very good!” (when I answer one of her questions correctly) // “No no no!” while waving a finger at us // “It’s baby turn!  That’s baby shoes.  It’s baby Mickey!” (her form of possessive) // “Mama come back!  I miss you Mama.” (when I get her in the morning or after a nap) // “Washin’ da booty” (sung while I put her into the bath… oh brother.)

Whew!  I tried to be as concise as possible in summing up two busy months.  Here is a little photomosaic of our fun:

Olive — Everyday with you is an adventure.  You are so hilarious, playful, tender-hearted, sympathetic, affectionate, and kind.  You also have a passionate and stubborn streak when it comes to things you want really badly (Dole Whip at Disneyland, haha) or things you absolutely don’t want (like a bite of grilled trout last night).  You are chatty all day long, asking questions and pointing things out or just telling us what you like, love, need, and want.  We are grateful everyday for the joy you bring to our lives.  A part of me wishes you could stay this age forever but as each day gets better and better, I know the best is yet to come.  Love you to the moon and back.  xoxo, Mama

Have a great afternoon and see you again soon!