So today was Maddie's second birthday. Well, not really. She won't actually turn two until the 7th but it's obviously easier to celebrate on the weekend. I hadn't been sure what to get her or if to even get her anything. We're not all that big on giftgiving in general in my family as far as birthdays or other occasions go. After all, it seems kinda whacky to get someone something they might not need or want just because it's a gift giving day. As far as Maddie went, I didn't really have much of a clue what she would want in the first place.

I ended up heading to Toys R Us last night and wandered around in there for 30 or 40 minutes looking over the possibilities. What I've really wanted to buy her for a While is one of those kid easels which have always looked like lotsa fun to me. Some of them even come with chalkboards and magnetic boards so they're multi-use. The only thing is I'm not sure she's old enough for that sort of thing and there's a concern that it'll just teach her to start drawing on the walls. I'm pretty sure neither Connie nor Jeff would appreciate that.

After a couple of circuits and a lot of indecision, this is what I got.



I like to think of it as striking a blow for the patriarchy and gender roles. It was about the pinkest and girliest thing in the store. I'm pretty sure my testosterone output dropped just from having to carry it around. I already know she likes playing with Little People and so I figured it couldn't really go wrong.

So earlier today after a nice meal at a restaurant known for ribs (which incidentally gave me a case of heartburn) and cake back at Connie and Jeff's place, Maddie opened her presents. My gift was pretty much overshadowed by the fact that her parents got her a motorized bigwheel which she proceeded to ride around the house, banging into walls and furniture. Turning isn't her strong suit. Still, she did seem to like the castle for as long as it lasted. In addition she also picked up a buncha matchbox cars, a motorized self-steering dump truck of some sort, and a picture book. She seemed happy with it all and even got to eat her cake by putting her face in it. There could certainly be worse birthdays.