Anissa has been fighting a stomach bug since the middle of last week, so we've been spending more time than usual at home. This means I've had to be creative in keeping the girls happy: crafts and puppet shows, blanket forts in the living room and, well, watching more Treehouse than usual. On Thursday, Barack Obama made his first appearance in Ottawa so I even got to catch a bit of the coverage on CBC. Later that day, I was putting away laundry upstairs while Anissa vegged on the couch, and Elianne decided to perform some shows for me on our bed. First was a Princess Show: she was Wella (Cinderella), twirling and spinning elegantly. The next show was the Panties Show: she flopped around on the bed, giggling and yelling "panties, panties, panties!". My favorite, though, was the Grande Finale: the Brack Bama Show. She smiled and waved and said, "Hi, Brack Bama! Bye, Brack Bama!" 

Happy Birthday, my sweet, beautiful Elianne.

This is my birthday present to you: I am going to start posting here regularly again. (I know the scooter we got you is much more exciting right now, but someday you'll appreciate this.) Everyday, you wow us with your sweetness, your sense of humor, the joy you bring all of us, and I need to start recording some of the little things that make you so lovable.

Fittingly, you had two parties to celebrate turning two. The first was with your cousins, Uncle Lee, Aunty Tam, Memere and Pepere, the first weekend of February. You shared a penguin cake with Corbin, who turned 8, and got a new doll and a chair "just like Anissa's" (one of your slogans these days). For a week after party #1, you sang "Happy Birthday to Me" all day long, and each morning insisted that, "Today Elianne's birthday!" So you were very excited when the real thing came at last, and on Sunday you had round two of the celebrations with friends. I made you a kitty cake and we blew up the bouncy house in the living room. You soaked up every second of the attention, and though you had fun with your friends you especially wanted to hang out in their parents' laps.  I think, judging by the collection of empty wine bottles in the kitchen, that the grown-up "kids" had a good time too!

What are you like at 2 years old? Everyone always notices your big brown eyes, you are generally friendly and smile a lot. You are also feisty like your sister, and insist on doing things your own way: you want to pick what you wear (your lizard rubber boots, for example, are your favorite, even in the dead of winter), want to climb into the car seat by yourself (although you can't quite make it and it takes minutes of negotiations to convince you that you need help), refused both your highchair and any form of bib a long long time ago, and will not stay in a shopping cart for any bribery in the world. You and Anissa now share a room - though you're still in your crib - and you spend a lot of time hugging and kissing each other. You love to play store, school, house, fairies and princesses. You're affectionate, and often take breaks from your play for snuggles.

Some of the things that make us laugh? The way you say "like this" - Italian style, with hand gestures and an accent - "lika dis!" And you say it a lot, whether you're re-enacting how you fell down the stairs or telling us what you did in the gym at the YMCA. You love the YMCA, and whenever Anissa talks about school, you always jump in to say, "Eli goes YDA!" You also love picking Anissa up from school, especially because she always gives you one of the stickers she got that day. You have a crush on Frosty the Snowman and like to pretend you are other people, like Anissa's friend Holly. And that means I have to be, Kristine, her Mom, for hours on end. You like to sing, and your present favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle and your own version of Frere Jacques. You also make up funny jibberish songs that you say are French and love to do dancing shows with Anissa in the living room. You speak very well, telling us what you "no like" and "want" and "NEED" (like "one candy, one more time, please?"). You tell people, "I'm Elianne Ranya Moo-ali" and we have a hard time tearing the phone away once you start pacing around the house and gabbing with Memere, Pepere or Mama Jo. 

What else is there to say? We love you! So so so much. Happy Birthday, Eli Belly.