Glimpses of the Second Birthday

 Our celebration of our little man yesterday was simple, but special.  There was a trip to the candy store to buy a gummy, some cupcakes (his 'real cake' will be made Saturday when a couple little friends are coming over), a few gifts and some fish and chips (the most appropriate birthday meal for a scottish born lad).

I was excited to give Rowan some wooden figures that I cut this summer when we were home (Jim painted the penguins below and I painted the bird.)  I also used one of the numbers I cut for the birthday ring for the first time (I totally forgot about them on my birthday) and we also added Daddy's owl and Jonah's Dove for the first time.  (I've been using a wooden owl figure that goes with their farm and a little bird we painted white in the last year, so it felt so good to have proper figures.)  These figures were the reason I borrowed my uncles saw this summer as nowhere seemed to sell a dove or owl (we found the swan and tree at Myriad toys).  I know that different families have varying traditions with the birthday ring.  Our tradition is to tell our family's story emphasizing the birth and blessing of the birthday child with wooden figures at each birthday and the birthday ring has each of our symbols (Jim - owl, Jonah- dove, me - swan, Rowan - Rowan Tree) to remind us of that story and how God has blessed us with each other.  I would love to add a seasonal fairy for each birthday and a few other things eventually, but for now sticking with our symbols is working well.