Jocie's Birthday (Part 3) The Party

For Jocie's 2nd birthday party, Jenny decided to part with the standard "at home" celebration that have dotted our children's earlier events and instead headed to a place that Jocie loves very much: Kids Gym.  Jocie and Jessamyn take gymnastics classes here twice a week. Here is Jocie with one of her two favorite teachers at Kids Gym: Mrs. Jodi.

She had a little help with the candles from mom, but the face she made was well worth the help....

Just hanging out...

Jocie even got to be the star attraction as she sat in the middle of the parachute while we all sang "Happy Birthday to you..."

And our reward for this effort was the famous "Pike Tongue" technique expressed by so many members of our family...

Jocie got four stamps on her feet and hands for her birthday...

Jocie in sunglasses

Who knows why, but she just decided that putting on a pair of sunglasses in the play room was just a "must" for her....

She even smiles when she sleeps!!!

This was our Julie the other morning as she awoke in a very happy mood.  It's these little moments like this that fully explain to me why we have 4 children!  When they're this cute and this much fun, it's just hard not to want a ton more.

Jocie and Julie

Here is a set of shots from this past weekend of Jocie and Julie.  The set of Julie is a double shot per image as one is cropped and one is the original.  

Enjoy, jp.

Jocie's Birthday (Part 2)

For her birthday lunch, we decided to go to the Olive Garden since she really likes there food (and if not, her parents really do). Jocie decided to put her own hat on.... maybe just a little crooked...

As I mentioned in my 365 blog, she insisted on stealing most of my lemonade.

Our waiter rounded up some fellow waitstaff and sang their stock "birthday song" to Jocie... I think she was a little stunned by the event as she just sat there and looked around (much as I'm sure I would have done in the same situation).

She blew out her candle (I've no idea why they only gave her one) on the first try!!!

... and insisted on sampling a little bit of her cake.

Look at that shear joy!

Later that night, at home, she had another birthday party (have you been counting?  This makes three in one day!!! Our family is big on birthdays).

This time, she needed a little help to blow out the candles.   Fortunately, Joey and Jess were right there to provide assistance.

And here was the entire birthday party.

Jocie's Birthday (Part 1)

Moments after waking up and coming downstairs, Jocie gets to walk through a "grand entrance" into the kitchen that Jenny had done the night before...

She was so very happy to see her Elmo themed birthday breakfast.

Her first birthday present?  A new toothbrush... even though this may seem strange, Jocie just loves to brush her teeth, and she'll yell at you if you forget to have her do it every morning and every night: "Brush teeth?.... brush teeth?"

Joey was still waking up, I think, when I took this shot...

Jocie's main birthday present?  A "roller coaster"!

This is actually something that she has loved every time she goes to her gym class, so, Jenny thoughtfully acquired this gift weeks ago for her.

Here she goes on her first run down the coaster...

And later as she cruised the house in her new "ride"

Jess and Jocie discuss the finer points of "Elmo" as a children's icon and role model in the modern age...

This picture and the next are thanks to Aunt Kate... the actual statement that was being made was: "Noooo daddy, I'm princess birthday, no pictures.... I'm princess birthday, nooo pictures!"

And this was the morning of Jocie's birthday... more to come from later that day.

Mom and the kids

Mom and Jocie hanging out while reading some books.

Jess gives mom a great big huge hug and tries to not look too cute... but fails.

Some Moments with Jocie

Here are some recent edits of photos I've done with Jocie....

New Years Eve with the Pike Family

We did a New Year's countdown with the kids (for a different time zone).  And right at the stroke of midnight (well, 8pm our time), the kids got to blow their "noise makers" and have a little sparkling grape juice to bring in the new year.

Here the three of them are at that very moment.

Jocie needed a little extra help learning to blow hers.

Jess gave everyone some great hugs!