My Terrible Two Year Old Who Is Actually More Terrific Than Terrible

Happy Birthday, Marky-Parky!
Mark just celebrated his second birthday. The big TWO. Wow! It seems just like yesterday that we were here:

 And this is never far from my memory:

Now here we are:

 So, for Mark's 2nd birthday, here are a few things about my sweet boy.

Mark loves to be outside. That boy could stay outside from sun up to sun down if I let him. He loves dirt, trucks, cars, balls...he is all boy. He likes to just drive around in his toy car or the Lightning McQueen four wheeler. For his birthday, he got a new ride--a Harley! He likes to push things around, like his baby brother in a stroller.
 

I like to refer to Mark as my Mighty Mark. He likes to use muscle and might to work things out. We call him "Bonk" because he's usually inclined to hammering things and because he's so active that he's a bit accident prone. He was a little slower to start walking. In fact, he wouldn't even put his feet down to stand. Then one day he decided it was time, and he hit the ground running. He is always on the go. He likes to run, jump, play, dance...anything that keeps him moving. He loves all sports and is fairly athletic for his age. He actually has a really good arm and can throw with a lot of power and good aim. As I was recently hit by a projectile toy dump truck, I can attest to his throwing strength. =)


Mark can be a little hard-headed like his daddy (okay, like his mommy too). Like I said with the walking, he had to decide he wanted to do it. If he doesn't want to do something, he will dig in his heels and there's no changing his mind. I like to think that this just means he will always be a determined person in life.

One thing that his Grandma J said once that has kind of stuck was,"Mark is tough as nails--just don't hurt his feelings." That is one true statement. Mark is an adventurer. He has no fear. He will climb to the top of the highest slide at the playground and slide down without any help. He's not afraid to try new things or of getting hurt (much to my chagrin!), instead, he sees adventures in place of challenges. He is tough as nails. However, if I get mad at him about something or if someone says something that hurts his feelings, the waterworks start. And while he may have initially had some issues with his head when he was born, Mark was blessed with some outstanding lungs.

I think Mark will be a little more introverted like me. He likes to be around people, and he's really sweet and giving, but he needs a little time on his own to really function. I'm the same as far as needing a little alone time to re-energize. Mark loves to share and to give. He loves to give big Mark bear hugs. I think he will be a defender of the little guy in his life. Two funny stories about Mark:

One day we were out somewhere at a semi-crowded place and a kid, probably 9 or 10 years old, wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into me. Actually, he almost knocked me over and gave me a sore shoulder. He apologized and rushed on his way. Mark literally did an about face and with a determined, all-business face started going after this kid. I'm not sure what he was planning to do if he caught the kid, but it made my heart swell to see my little boy going to my rescue.

The other day we were getting some take-out dinner at a Chinese place. As we were waiting for our food, this huge Polynesian guy came in. He placed his order at the counter and then sat down at the table next to us. Now, mind you, this guy was HUGE. He had tattoos up and down his arms and legs and looked like a linebacker for some college team. Well, Mark decided he was going to make friends. He went to the guy's table, pulled himself up into the chair across from the guy, rested his chin on his arms, and proceeded to just stare at the guy. At first, the guy pretended to not notice him. But after a few minutes of intense staring, the guy finally made eye contact with Mark and said, "Hi, little guy." And then they were friends. As the guy left, he said good-bye to Mark, and then said to me, "You have a cute kid." Yes, I do.

Mark is a sweetheart and a character. He brings so much fun and adventure to our family. I am lucky and blessed to be able to call myself Mark's Mom.

 For Mark's birthday, I made him a 2 pancake for breakfast. And I made him a jeepin' cake because, of course, he loves going out in the Jeep. He's already laid claim to my Jeep. That's what I get for naming him after Uncle Mark and Uncle Clay. =)