2 (!)

 We Bentz gals (and Grandpa, Wolfman, and Mads) celebrated the littlest Bentz gal the day after her actual birthday, which she spent with The Goods, eating way too much sugar (as one should, though sleep that night did not happen easily or at all, according to her mother).  Ella may have been suffering a bit of sugar hangover when we saw her on the 20th, or perhaps she just couldn't wait to test the Terrible Twos waters.  Whatever the reason, Ella was less interested in opening presents and eating cake than hoarding animal cookies and, in general, not following suggestion or direction (even when those suggestions and directions would've led her to lots of fun!).  Ella was frustrated by the suffocating guidance of adults, Sierra was a bit frustrated with Ella's transformation into the Cookie Monster, and I was frustrated with my camera because photographing two constantly moving toddlers is asking too much of it.  (I cannot manage to get a picture of either of these kids these days without at least a slight blur.) And, this has nothing to do with the party per se, but Wolfman warned me my new striped tent-dress was unflattering before we left the house ("It makes you look big," he said, "and you're not big"), but I either didn't believe him or didn't care until I saw the video and photos from the day.

 

I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining.  I'm not, exactly.  My family's inability to ever pull off a good party is something I find kind of charming about us.  We always mean well, but never quite manage to make something seamless and beautiful and unforgettable.  Maybe on Ella's 3rd?  Mads had fun, at least.  (All those balloons!)