Mio is two!

Mio turned two yesterday, and while we opted not to have a big birthday party with friends this year, we spent the daytime playing outside and had a little get-together with the family in the evening to celebrate with BonChon Chicken dinner, birthday cake, and opening presents! Here are some snapshots and video from throughout the day…

Hunting for eggs in the backyard.
We had another little Easter egg hunt in the backyard in the morning.

 

Birthday swinging.
But then she got distracted by the swing.

 

Delight on the swing.
Smiles of delight on the swing.

 

Still loves climbing!
And no day is complete without climbing onto furniture! Mio loves to climb to the top of the sofa and straddle like a horse.

 

Wearing tupperware as a hat.
Wearing tupperware as a hat. Silly girl.

 

Eating BonChon chicken!
Eating BonChon chicken for dinner. Mio always says “kokko-” (short for “kokekokko”, or “cock-a-doodle-doo” in Japanese) while eating chicken!

 

Birthday cake for Mio!
The birthday cake I made for Mio!

 

I love this video that Dan took of Mio while we sang “Happy Birthday” to her. She seemed to know exactly what was going on, and that she had to blow out the candles at the end! I love her excited smile and clapping at the end…

…but then of course she thought the candles were candy and stuck one in her mouth! Very much a Mio thing to do. haha* You can see how much she loves eating the cake in the following video:


 

Mio keeps watching as I cut the cake.
Mio with a mouthful of cake!

 

Sweetheart.
Mio + cake = happy girl.

 

Mio and Mama eating cake together.
Mio and Mama both share a love for desserts and all things sweet!

 

Dan says Mio and I have the same face here.
Dan says Mio and I have the same face here. lol

 

Looking up at Daddy
“Whatcha lookin’ at, Daddy?”

 

After cake, we opened some birthday presents together! Dan and I got her a dollhouse, while my parents got her a family of dolls to match. Her reaction was more than we had anticipated — she was ecstatic! 😀


 

She also got some sweet and generous gifts from Uncle Ted and Auntie Elisa!

Mio staring at the AquaDoodle.
An AquaDoodle from Uncle Ted and Auntie Elisa…

 

...and a toy medical kit to play doctor! Conditioning her early... ;)
…and a toy medical kit to play doctor! Conditioning her early… 😉

 

Looking at the stethoscope.
Curiously looking at the stethoscope.

 

While it was a small birthday celebration in comparison to the birthday party we threw her for her first birthday last year, it seemed to leave quite an impression on her. Afterwards, she kept saying “two” in search of the candle shaped like a 2, and has been carrying it around with her ever since! I also caught her serving her stuffed animals toy cupcakes and singing to them “Happy~ to you~” (since she can’t say “birthday”) yet. It warms my heart to see how much she enjoyed and appreciated the family celebrating her birthday and how much love she must’ve felt!

Mio wouldn't let go of the 2-shaped candle!
Mio wouldn’t let go of the 2-shaped candle! Happy birthday sweetheart. ♥