Before we realized, two years had passed.  And, my little angel – Pumpkin – had graduated from being a toddler to a  spirited “pre schooler”.  Here’s what the latest Babycenter update had to say on the occassion of her 2nd birthday:

It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago your toddler was, well, toddling about, carefully testing her newfound walking skills. Now she’s 2-year’s-old — Happy Birthday to her and congratulations to you for getting her to this point happy and healthy.

It’s been a banner year for physical development. In many ways, she’s no longer a toddler anymore, and if the term seems off to you, consider calling her your “preschooler.”  The American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of physical milestones that most children reach by their second birthday. By age 2, your child should be able to:

– Walk alone
– Pull toys behind her
– Carry a large toy while walking
– Stand on the tips of her toes
– Kick a ball
– Climb onto and off furniture
– Walk up and down stairs
– Scribble spontaneously
– Turn containers over to empty out the contents
– Build a tower of four or more blocks

Pumpkin does all this, and more.  Can you imagine the activity levels around the house, on any given day ?! 

After much deliberation, we decided to host a little party at our house, on the momentous occassion.  We had only invited some cousins and their kids, in addition to a couple of close friends.  But, in the end, the turnout was close to 35! 

Needless to say, for those two hours, it was simply chaos.  Cake and chips… and kids… were moving around a 200 square feet space in brownian motion.  Noise levels were reaching new highs.  And, every thing looked different around the house.  But, things did settle down, eventually (after every one had left).  And, in retrospect, the Mickey Mouse themed party was a grand success!

Best of all, my little pre-schooler had the time of her life!