Max's Birthday: Part II

Max's actual birthday was last Monday.  Dad took the day off work to spend the whole day with our birthday boy.  We had a picnic and even went fishing!  So how did we pull that off when it looked like this outside?

 First real snow of the winter. 

We had a few surprises in store for our big 2-year-old boy... 

When Max woke up we showed him his presents! 

Max got a magnet board (oil drip pan), big magnet letters, a fishing game with a fishy book called "You Be You",  a book about being thankful and a remote control car. 

I made these little fish out of his baby socks and some magnets.

Fishys swimming in the water.

Caught one!

Trying to get the hang of the remote control car.

I (Trader Joe's) fixed lunch and we let Max choose any room in the house to have a "picnic".  We laid down the blanket in Max's room.  I don't know why we don't eat like this more often.  It's actually easier to clean up!

Going in for more arugula.  Takes after his momma ;)

Mmm...and tomatoes.

Later, we fixed pizza for dinner.  Max really got into the process...



I love the way they they look at each other.

 However, we completely forgot to cook the dough first.  Or at least transfer it to the pizza stone prior to putting the toppings on.  I guess we were just so wrapped up in Max's happiness with the whole thing and forgot. So we ended up with this...

I tried to make it into a calzone, but even then it was tearing and falling apart so I just made a ball out of it, threw it on the stone and put it in the oven.  We called it pizza cake.  And it was (surprisingly) delicious.

Lastly, an update on the donation to the Ronald McDonald House.

Max's understanding was actually better than I thought it would be.  He knew we were taking items to children who had "owies".  He would hold up a toy or DVD from one of the donation bags and say "No Max's.  Get better owies!"  and then put the item back in the bag.  Which, for anyone who knows Max (or any 2 year old for that matter), the fact that he wasn't yelling "mine!" was a miracle in itself.  It warmed my heart.  He seemed to understand that someone else needed those things more than he did.  And that was priceless and one of my very favorite memories of his 2nd birthday.