My youngest... you are two

Last week you turned two, Charley. You experienced a birthday in the peak of COVID-19 isolation mode. I'm so thankful it was you and not either of your sisters' birthdays last week. I'm going to hold out hope that by the time Emma's birthday roles around near the end of June that she can have a semi-normal birthday. It was actually quite great timing as we like to joke that "we don't celebrate second birthdays in our house" anyways. After all, we sent Emma to her first full day of daycare when she turned two, and well we moved house on Morgan's second birthday. Anti-climatic second birthdays is what we do.

But your sisters wouldn't let it not be special, they spoiled you, doted on you, walked you down the hallway when you woke up so you would see all of your special decorations. They wanted to play "fancy restaurant" for your birthday dinner, we didn't quite do that, but they did help cook some very special chocolate chip pancakes for dinner and made sure your cake was perfect. Emma learned how to play "Happy Birthday to You" on the keyboard. They both laughed at you in the best way when you decided to wear your new undies on your head for dinner and for the next few days. They put up with you when you played that Wiggles microphone on repeat. ALL. DAY. LONG. While you couldn't grasp 100% what was going on, you knew it was a special day about you no doubt and you let your personality shine in the moment. You wore that Elsa dress with all the confidence of a real queen. And you held onto that cake stand when it came close to you, no one was going to separate you from YOUR cake.

You are a "classic" third child. You are loud, really LOUD. You talk, a lot. While I vividly remember Emma and Morgan both turning corners with their speech when they turned two, you are already well and truly having full conversations with me and have been for the last couple months. You are a "pocket rocket" as Australians like to say, but let's be careful saying that as it means a few different things depending on what part of the world you're from. Here it means you are petite, but athletic and energetic. That definitely matches your Evil Knievel dare devil personality. You will be my child that either gives me a heart attack or finally sends us to emergency with our first serious injury.

But along with your big, outgoing, strong willed personality that orders your sisters around, you love BIG. I am thankful that I am often the recipient of so much of your love. You love to play the game where you say "my mummy!" and I say back "my Charley!" on repeat while I hold you and you squeeze my head against your cheek. You tell me you love me and have perfected your air kiss (hopefully you'll figure out the timing of your lip smack on my cheek soon).

I have moments of guilt when you don't always share this love equally with other family members but you have a special bond with each of us as the youngest one of the house everyone loves their baby Charley. No doubt the bond between Morgan and yourself is truly special. You already beat her up, I'm fearful of what is to come, but you two always make up and Morgan with her gentle heart always forgives you right away without question, and pulls you in for a big hug and says "that's ok Charley, just don't do it again."

This isolation thing has arguably been most difficult on you. You've missed our last 6 weeks at playgrounds, but we tried to make it up a little to you with the tiny inflatable slide and ball pit we got you for your birthday. I look forward to when I no longer have to tell you that a playground is broken when you spot one or when I don't have to go to all ends to avoid you seeing one. You in general just want to disturb the peace when you're inside at home and it hasn't made for the best combination with your sisters that are actually able to sit still and want to learn and do quiet activities. You have worn me out, but I love not having to rush and drag you from place to place during the day and our normal activities as well.

I don't know what the future holds for you, my youngest. I don't know what the future holds for our world either. I am thankful you won't really remember this time and I pray that the "new normal" that results over the rest of this year and next year won't impact the way you interact with others forever. I want you to be able to run and bear hug your friends, tickle their toes, and give ALL of your love to those around you. I don't want you to be worried about how I might react if you get too close to another child or fearful that if you sneeze in public that I'll have to keep you cooped up at home for the next few weeks without even a thought of stepping outside.

Charley, you are TWO now. A baby no more, but thankfully still my baby. You might look so much like your older sisters, but you are your OWN person. You will pave a road for yourself no doubt very different than what Emma and Morgan do for themselves. I will wait and watch and pray that I might be able to do my best to raise you for whatever the world might throw at you or where you might land.

Mat-te-wan-ye - Pinchgut - Fort Denison

It's always fun to have an excuse to be a tourist in your own town and do something new. So Steve's birthday seemed like a good reason to book a reservation at a place claimed to be in the top five waterfront restaurants in the world, the Fort Denison Restaurant.

For those of you not familiar with Sydney, Fort Denison (as it is now called) is a small island right in the heart of the Sydney Harbour. It was originally a small rocky island and has undergone several transformations and name changes as the purpose of the island has changed. According to its website it has been a fishing spot, prison, defence structure, navigational guide, tide gauge station, weather station, time marker and now a restaurant, event space and historical museum.

Of its three given names throughout history my favorite is definitely Pinchgut, evidently because it was believed the prisoners that stayed there received very little bread and water.

Unfortunately Steve's birthday now falls during the Australian winter (so much for that summer birthday), so it seems that we maybe could have picked a better time of the year to eat at a restaurant that is built to enjoy spectacular harbour views. We will have to go back in nicer weather, and perhaps sans children, when the sides of the tent are open and views are seamless. Nonetheless, despite some light rain on Sunday we tried to make the best of his birthday lunch.

Approaching Fort Denison on the ferry

To get to Fort Denison requires taking a specific ferry as the regular Sydney Harbour ferries don't service it. We opted to use Captain Cook Cruises, otherwise there are a few other options to get you there, just a short 10 minute ride from Circular Quay. Each visitor is also required to pay a special National Park entry fee, which was included in the ferry fee.

Approach as you disembark on the island

View towards the restaurant (in covered tent for the wintery rainy weather)

Upon our arrival it was straight to lunch - at least three of us were very hungry - and one was very tired! So while Morgan snoozed Steve insisted on Emma and I trying oysters for the first time. While I love most seafood, this has never been one that appealed to me. My pre-conceived notion was correct, and Emma agreed with me with one simple word - her favorite and quickly becoming Morgan's favorite, "yuck." Morgan eventually woke up to join the rest of us for a lunch... beef wagyu for Steve, prawn and crab linguini for me, fish and chips for Emma and Morgan. We all made it through the white linen lunch without incident from the girls (kids are actually welcome here though so don't hesitate to bring them - they even have a kids menu), except for the waitress that dropped a too full tray right next to me. 

Emma staring down the oyster to make sure it was dead

Morgan looking all cute and polite with napkin bib and using a breakable plate.

I let her have my phone for 90 seconds and ended up with 48 selfies with every expression possible

As the rain had started to come down heavier we took them up on the offer for a free coffee (along with profuse apologies for the dropped tray) as we weren't going anywhere, obviously, we were on a small island and were subject to the regularly scheduled ferry times. But as we had an especially fidgety 15 month old we decided to venture out into the rain anyways to explore the rest of the island.

Morgan was excited to get outside and explore

The day was a series of bad photo attempts

Well this one turned out pretty well

Learning how to shoot the cannon 

In position to protect the city

View of the entire top level

There was a small indoor museum in the enclosed building that told the story of the island and some of its uses along with a short film playing. But really, as you can see from the photos, most of the fun to explore and the even more impressive views, are above the building and restaurant on a grassy knoll.

Another failed photo

And another... good smiles, but a blurry photo

Morgan loves noses, so we'll call this the nose game!

Look at that view!

Morgan was unaffected by the light rain, but Emma wasn't as much of a fan, so she was ready to go when the ferry came into sight. And of course, right on cue as the ferry came to take us back to the "mainland" the sun started to come out. 

There comes the sun...

And then she turned one...

Just like that, another year is gone. Seriously, I know people say things go faster with the second one, but this last year flew! Morgan turned one on February 17 and we celebrated with some close friends a couple weeks after the big day. Her actual birthday was pretty low key, but she got a sweet, carefully picked out gift from sister (a "beanie boo" monkey, that just happens to be one of Emma's favorite things as well). And as it fell on a Friday, it meant that just Morgan and I got some time to do our own thing together. The rain fell down in buckets the afternoon of her birthday and the morning of her birthday party, as it seems to be the thing to do in Sydney right now. Every. Single. Day. But that's ok, the birthday girl seemed not to notice and the "You are my sunshine" themed party helped to balance out the otherwise dismal weather.

We've watched many milestones pass by in the past year and now we wait in anticipation to see what the youngest member of the family will do next (maybe walking, one day? She could really care less about it right now). But one thing's for sure, this girl is happy, and when she's not happy, well she let's you know it. We call it "the squawk" and I think most people that have heard it would agree, you can hear a little of it here (along with a lot of other chaos) while she carefully negotiates the stairs...

Seriously, back to the happy part. Quite simply she loves life. She loves to smile. She loves to laugh. She loves to eat. She loves to crawl as fast as she can with her head down until she falls face first. She loves to crawl up the stairs as fast as she can. She loves to hug and "kiss" your face. She loves when she's sitting in her high chair and sees daddy coming in the front door. She loves to sit in our little kid Ikea chair. She loves to "flap her wings" to show her excitement. She loves to fall backwards. She loves to throw her neck back and have you tickle it. She loves to sit in her Pilates v-sit (she must have a seriously strong core). She loves to sleep (THANK GOODNESS, not always uninterrupted, but nonetheless I'll take it). She loves to sleep in her cot. She loves her big sister. She loves when her big sister drives her around in a car. She loves bath time, especially with her big sister. She loves to rummage. She loves to open and close everything she can get her hands on. She loves to get everything out of any box, drawer, container she can find. She loves dogs. She loves the park. She loves ME.

She loves the park!

She loves just trying to be a big girl.

Always in her Pilates v-sit

We feel so lucky that her list of loves is so big. While I could make a list of things she does not love, that's not much fun. So pretty much just imagine trying to stop her from doing any of the above things and you can figure out what she does not love. And then you'll get "the squawk." And if your name is Emma, you might just get a bite as well. 

No biting here, just a friendly whack on the face.

So here's a look at some of the fun of her birthday day and month. It's so hard to pick just one. It was a fun February.

Her actual birthday was spent with a semi-successful trip to the beach, but a really fun photo shoot at home!

From her birthday party...

The "Name that baby" game was so much fun!

When the icing gets a little too heavy for the cake!

The start of "her look"

Thanks to our playgroup friends Morgan even got a little extra birthday celebration!

Me and my birthday girl.