Today, church services were canceled, most stores were closed, and the roads were still slick so we spent our second consecutive day in a row at home (we love the snow, but it sure would be nice to leave the neighborhood!). This day was better, though, because skies were blue, the sun was shining, and Daddy was home!

We headed outside to play in the morning. Daddy tried to build an igloo, but the snow wasn't cooperating.

The little Florida native thought his bucket and shovel worked just well in the snow as they do in the sand...

Since we moved into our house last May, I've been looking forward to our first snowfall because I knew the hill out back would be great for sledding. And it was! Too bad we don't have a sled... Details, details...

After the initial snowfall, sleet fell for most of the day yesterday so the top layer of snow was quite hard. Mommy and Daddy easily stepped right through, but lightweight Gavin walked on top of the snow...

Back inside, we passed the time with a photo shoot under the bed sheets. Gavin really wasn't digging this idea and only gave me two halfway decent shots, but Mommy is persistent and will try another time!

And Gavin played with toys, of course...

Mr. Particular separated his LEGO Quattro bricks by color...

By late afternoon, we were ready to play in the snow again. The bright sun melted lots of snow on our hill during the day, just in time for Daddy to improvise a makeshift sled using the lid from Gavin's sand table. Too bad we didn't think of this in the morning!

Daddy drilled a couple holes, threaded some rope, and voila! The perfect toddler-sized sled! Even if we had bought a real sled, I don't think we could have found one that was a more perfect size for Gavin!

After a few laps around our house, we took a long walk around the neighborhood pulling Gavin behind us.

At the creek, the boys threw snowballs into the water...

They quickly graduated to much larger chunks of snow!

Tired of sledding, Gavin decided he wanted to walk most of the day home. We agreed as long as he pulled his own sled. ;)

They may not have started the weekend as the best of friends, but Gavin and Snow are buddies in the end!

Gavin really enjoyed the first couple slides, but by the time we got the video camera out he was beginning to realize how fast and scary it was.

Snow started falling shortly after sunset yesterday and there was a nice, three-inch thick white blanket on the ground when we woke up this morning. We quickly got ourselves and Gavin ready early to play in the snow only to discover after a several minute walk outside that he just doesn't like snow! Daddy worked today at one of the only stores in town that was actually open (and even sold the governor a pair of boots!), so Mommy and Gavin stayed home indoors all day.

While Gavin napped, I ventured into the woods behind our house. In a few years, Gavin will love exploring back there!

Precipitation accumulation check around one o'clock...

Like any other day, Gavin played with his cars on the living room window sill for a while...

When he noticed several kids and dogs across the street having fun in the snow shortly before noon, Gavin asked to go out again.

He enjoyed the snow more this time, in part because I switched his too-small winter parka that he had worn out earlier in the day for a combination of two lighter coats that allowed him to move around easier.

Gavin still didn't have the reaction to snow that most kids do and didn't like to fall down. He insisted on holding my hand as we walked around so I didn't get many pictures!

When the sleet started falling heavier, he was ready to go back inside. We played a few games on the Disney web site (this kid really needs an iPad!)...

Constructed a new train track and played with his trains...

And watched his favorite movie, Cars. I hadn't planned on resorting to the television, but after the weather reports began suggesting that the greatest ice threat is yet to come tonight and tomorrow, I thought we better watch TV while we're able just in case we lose power for a few days!

Tomorrow will be even colder than today so the snow won't be melting anytime soon. Perhaps we'll give playtime in the snow another chance!

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Gavin prefers warm chocolate cake to brain-freezing ice cream, and does not appreciate being deprived of either.

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On Saturday morning, we checked out the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. It should really be named the Kids Museum of Life and Science. Almost every display is geared towards children with lots of little stools for sitting and steps for peeking into tanks and displays. Every adult there was accompanied by at least one small child and usually a stroller! In addition to the indoor museum, outdoor farm animal viewing area, and bug house, there is a large outdoor loop in the woods with more animals - bears, wolves, etc. We ran out of time and didn't have a stroller with us so we'll have to see all the animals another time.

Gavin grunted his usual, oomph!, when trying to lift the heaviest rock...

More rocks under magnifying glasses...

Fluorescent rocks... Gavin was less interested in the brightly-colored rocks and thought that little black button beside the display that turned on the light was the tops.

WARNING to a certain grandmother with an intense fear of snakes! Don't look too closely at the next picture! Gavin, of course, likes snakes as long as they move. He likes pretty much anything that moves.

Turtles are certainly cuter and more interesting than snakes...

This is when Mommy started getting excited. Rocket engines, space artifacts, and memorabilia! Gavin wasn't terribly impressed (see previous comment about things that move).

The rocket above is just one of five that was part of the Saturn V rocket that launched men to the moon.

A mockup of a lunar module?! Wow! Mommy could have stayed here a long time. Gavin was more interested in crawling under the display tables.

Mommy got a major case of camera envy...

Gavin was glad to leave the boring space wing and played at the bone table...

Cow vertebrae...

Outside, Gavin explored the interior of a real train caboose...

He enjoyed watching sheep in the farm animal area...

The cow... not so much! He likes seeing cows in his books and makes his mmmm sound when we ask him what a cow says, but I don't think he realized how big cows really are and it scared him! This cow kept mooing mmmm without opening her mouth which made us realize that Gavin's vowel-less cow sound has been accurate all along!

Checking out some groovy blue and green frogs in the reptile and insect house...

There was a large butterfly conservatory. Gavin was able to touch one butterfly that was resting on a leaf and liked watching swarms of them fly overhead.

We took the opportunity for a family photo opp in the air lock as we left the butterflies. This was the end of the visit for us!

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In this video of Gavin's second birthday celebration, you'll see that Gavin does not like to wait to play with cars, and enjoys singing even less.

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On December 31st of 2009, we took Gavin to the aquarium to celebrate his second birthday. Traci previously posted a terrific photographic narrative and now I've finally remembered the video I shot. Here's a loose montage of Gavin's excited pointing, grunting, and general awe.

This week, Jeff made a table for Gavin's train. Most people have coffee tables in the middle of the living room. We have a train table!

Our living room doubles as Gavin's play room. It's a necessity in a house as small as ours! This table is doing a great job of containing Gavin's toys while providing lots of storage space underneath.

Jeff had a short "honey do" list of home improvements to complete yesterday. His favorite little helper was able to lend a hand installing a couple of towel rods in Gavin's bathroom. First, they unpacked the boxes and read the directions under supervisor Handy Manny's watchful eye.

Gavin helped dispose of the packaging material (which, for now, meant "throw it in the bathtub and pull the shower curtain closed so it can't be seen")...

He carried the parts into the bathroom where Daddy was waiting...

Then, it was time to shut the door so they could be mounted on the wall behind it. No more peeking until we're ready for the big reveal. 'K, Mom?

With Pat the hammer's help, Gavin tapped the drywall anchors into the wall...

Phillipe the screwdriver finished the job...

They needed more power to finish up. More power! Ar, ar, ar!

Then, it was time to attach the rods...

When the job was complete, Gavin tidied up and placed his tools back in his toolbox.

Ideally, this is where I would add a picture of the towels hanging from their new happy homes on the newly-installed rods with the proud little helper standing by. Ideally. Somehow, I forgot about how that would contribute to the whole closure aspect of the blog entry.

For Gavin, today's bad news was that he had to visit the peditrician's office for his two-year check-up. The good news is that he doesn't need to go back now for an entire year! His new set of stats:

• 33 ¾ inches tall (29th percentile)
  
• 29 pounds, 6 ounces (69th percentile)
• head circumference not measured (but we can only assume he's still close to the 100th percentile!)

He's grown one inch and gained five pounds since his last check-up six months ago. I was surprised by his low height percentile considering he's always been above the 50th and both Jeff and I are above average now, but we were both little shorties through childhood so that may be Gavin's fate as well! Gavin is completely healthy and normal, and despite having several colds this fall that resulted in just a single doctor visit, he said Gavin is doing remarkably well. What more could we ask for?

Gavin was a happy boy in the waiting room watching all the fish swim around in the tank, but started whimpering when a girl's name was called. I don't think he realized exactly where he was until that moment! He started crying again when his name was called and didn't stop until the nurse left us a while later. Gavin's first stop on the way to the exam room was the scale. He stood on the big boy scale for the first time and also stood against the wall while his height was measured. During all previous check-ups, he sat in the baby scale and was measured while laying down on the exam table.

In the exam room, Daddy distracted Gavin with movies of himself on the iPod while Mommy answered the nurse's questions. Then, the nurse pricked his finger and drew some blood for a cholesterol test and the silence in the room was broken again.

The doctor arrived a few minutes later for his full examination. He isn't concerned about Gavin's speech delay since he clearly understands almost everything we tell him. He expects Gavin to start using many words in the next six months when kids typically have a language explosion.

After a Hepatitis A immunization and a couple of flu shots, we stopped in Target on the way home and treated Gavin to the car of his choice in the Matchbox car aisle - his favorite aisle in any store! He chose Ramone to add to his Cars collection.

And because I didn't take any photos of today's events but can't post a blog entry without one, here are a couple of snapshots of Gavin helping me make dinner a few nights ago.

I certainly couldn't make dinner without my spices stacked, after all!

Earlier this week we checked off an important item on our Preparing for Baby Brother checklist that required Gavin's full cooperation and support: He moved out of his crib! In doing so, Gavin has provided one of his first hand-me-downs to his little brother. I don't think any of us expected the transition from crib to bed to go as flawlessly as it has!

Gavin used his tools to help Daddy disassemble his crib...

He collected all of the discarded screws and washers...

The new bed is merely a twin mattress on the floor. We decided this was the most cost-effective and simple solution. We won't have to buy rails or anything else that would be temporary. If he rolls off in the middle of the night (he already has), he only drops a few inches! When he's ready, we'll just buy the boxspring and frame, and lift the bed off the floor.

I knew this was the sheet set for Gavin's bed the moment I saw them - thank you, Pottery Barn Kids! He loves all of the cars, trucks, and buses. Mommy loves the simplicity, colors, and the fact that despite being completely covered with vehicles, they're not tacky!

Gavin just stared and pointed at all of the cars and trucks on the sheets for a long time.

To say that Gavin loved his vehicle-covered mattress from the moment he saw it would be an understatement!

Gavin's first night in his new bed was a complete success. He went to sleep without any problems, slept through the night, and managed to stay on the mattress all night long, quite an accomplishment for being the active sleeper that he is!

He quickly discovered that a mattress is fun for activities other than napping...

Removing the crib from his room has also made his window sill more accessible so he quickly filled it with cars, of course.

Gavin took his first nap on his bed the following day... We thought he'd be distracted by his newfound freedom and play with his toys, but sleep won.

Today, Daddy turned thirty ... something. Gavin continued his tradition of giving Daddy a LEGO set for his birthday. Two years ago, Gavin didn't help much with assembly, but we'll accept his excuse that he was only nine days old. Last year, he wasn't able to build but happily played with the finished product. This year, Gavin knew Daddy would love the Jeep in the new Toy Story green army men set and he was finally able to help assemble. He wasn't much help constructing the Jeep, but was able to join body parts together to create the men quite well.

Gavin is a real pro at putting hats on LEGO minifig heads, too! Maybe next year, father and son will be able to assemble an entire city together!

When he is unsure of the next step, Gavin always consults his LEGO building expert dad.

The Jeep is complete!

The six hours between presents and cake time were camera-free. While Gmummy took Gavin to Rhyme Time and back home for playtime and a nap, Jeff and I went to the doctor's office for a 24-week check-up on Baby Brother. He's still growing perfectly as far as we can tell - the tummy measured right on track at 24 centimeters and his heart was beating strong at 150 beats per minute.

Then, we headed downtown for lunch at The Pit for our first authentic Carolina barbeque (the pitmaster beat Bobby Flay on the Carolina ribs and beans episode of Throwdown). Wow! It was amazing! Jeff proclaimed it his new favorite restaurant and we decided we simply have to take any out-of-town visitors there in the future!

Along the way home, we stopped at both Home Depot and Lowe's (Jeff's two favorite stores) for more home improvement supplies and bought a mattress for Gavin. At home, we set up Gavin's big boy bed (separate blog entry to come) as the rest of the in-laws arrived.

For the sugar rush, I made Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Sheet Cake. Daddy and Gavin couldn't wait to dig in.

First, we sang to the birthday boy...

... which Gavin really didn't enjoy. He has issues with singing. Do we really sing that bad? We spared him the full drawn-out Happy Birthday song on his own birthday because that day was all about Gavin, but he had to suffer through our singing for Daddy.

Gavin's favorite part of the day was when we stopped singing and let him eat cake. I'm honestly not sure which of the two he liked better. Notice the tear drops Gavin produced to add drama to his "I hate singing" episode.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

To merely say that Gavin likes books and enjoys reading is quite an understatement. Reading is his favorite activity. Nothing else keeps his attention as long and he isn't willing to participate in any other activity so frequently. He has a core collection of favorite books (Berenstain Bears, Curious George, Dr. Seuss, and others), but always has a few favorites that change on a regular basis. We will start regularly featuring them here so that Gavin can share his favorite books with you. I'm sure that if he understood the concept of blogging and using it as a voice to share his opinions with others, he'd definitely agree!

Two of Gavin's favorites from his core collection are Hondo and Fabian and Fabian Escapes by Peter McCarty. I will likely discuss those in more detail at a later date because they are wonderful books! Gavin and I visited the library yesterday and we left with a few more of Peter McCarty's books including Moon Plane. That evening, when we sat down to read all of his new library books, it was quite clear that Moon Plane was Gavin's favorite. He made me read it four times in a row. Today, he identified it from the pile of books on the couch and insisted that we read it five times in a row! So, it's quite fitting that this book should be the first in the "Gavin Recommends" series.

Like all of Peter McCarty's books, Moon Plane is wonderfully illustrated with unique, soft pencil illustrations. It tells the story of a boy who sees a plane fly overhead and imagines himself as a passenger on that plane, flying over the earth and all the way to the moon. Then, he returns back home, to his house and his mother, and dreams of planes that night. As I've read this book to Gavin, I occasionally glanced down at him sitting in my lap and his cheeks were huge every time. A smile is plastered on his face the entire time. Gavin gives this book two big cheeks!

As a barely-related side note ... the new pajamas Gavin is wearing in the picture above are now his favorites. Playing with cars and trucks is probably the only activity that could rival books' #1 activity ranking. He's just so excited that his legs are covered with them when he wears these pajamas!

January 3, 2010 started off the same as most days in the Highsmith house. Gavin watched the Disney channel in Mommy and Daddy's room while eating a light breakfast.

Being a Sunday, we all headed off to church (and he actually sat through half of the service!). We returned home and played with Gavin and all of his new Christmas toys for a while.

Then, it was time to open the first present of the day. This one arrived from his Florida grandparents.

Whatcha got in there?

A Nemo book!

It's Pearl! Gavin's favorite Finding Nemo character by far is Pearl, the little flapjack octopus.

Also included was There's No Place Like Space, an updated version of Cat in the Hat book with Pluto demoted from planetary status. Poor Pluto.

... and Tag Junior. Sit the little device on the animals in the special book and it talks and makes animal sounds. Woah!

Of course, the box the gifts came in was nearly as fun as the gifts themselves! (his pants were lost in an oatmeal-eating incident)

We continued playing until Gavin was ready for his nap.

After naptime, we headed to the GG's place to see the rest of the family and eat cake. Gavin got a few more gifts from his North Carolina grandparents that continued the fishy theme of the weekend.

With so much practice over the past week, Gavin is a real pro at opening gifts now. Daddy's birthday next week, when none of the wrapped presents are for Gavin, should be very interesting!

Gavin was mesmerized by his new fish tank.

Cake time! This was Mommy's first attempt at making a cake from scratch (the basic chocolate cake recipe in the red Better Homes and Gardens cookbook is incredible!) and cake decorating. The theme wasn't a tough decision. Gavin loves Cars!

We didn't care that it was 30 degrees outside. We needed some Goodberry's frozen custard to eat with cake!

Gavin was upset when we told him he couldn't play with his new Lightning and Mater until we sang Happy Birthday and blew out the candles...

Here you go, Son. Mommy will give you Lightning and Mater...

Just a few more seconds, Babe. We need everyone to gather 'round and sing to you first...

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to! I want my new cars!!!

So we sang really fast and gave Gavin his new cars! Gavin was happy again.

Unlike last year, when he just poked his cupcakes suspiciously, Gavin wanted to eat lots of chocolate cake!

He'd never had ice cream before and was startled by the temperature of that first bite but quickly became a fan and ate more. I mean, really, even if you're not a big ice cream fan, you've gotta love Goodberry's custard!

We headed home where one more gift awaited. Aunt Kristen's present was too big to transport to the GG's and I have no pictures of him opening it because he immediately tore the paper off when we walked in the door before Mommy had a chance to get her camera ready!

He shoots! He scores!

Eventually we'll put this basketball hoop out back, but he's not playing outside anytime soon with the unseasonably cold weather we'll be having for the rest of the month!

I can make baskets all by myself! (as he sends the ball through the hoop in the wrong direction)

Happy Birthday, my big boy! We can't wait to see what your third year has in store for you!

After a brief stop at the beach, we proceeded to aquarium. The aquarium at Fort Fisher, one of three on North Carolina's coast, primarily features plants and animals found in the Cape Fear coastal waterways. As soon as we walked into the conservatory, Gavin ran to the first big tank, pointing and giggling at the fish swimming inside.

I think he could have watched that one tank for an hour! 

... but there was so much more to discover!

Days like this are documented in still photography and motion pictures, as usual.

The staff must have been anticipating Gavin's arrival...

Inside, there more many more tanks with lots of smaller fishies.

... and BIG tanks... with lots of big fishies!

This smile rarely left his face. We definitely made the right choice by taking him to an aquarium!

Aunt Kristen gave him a boost to gaze at the reef tank.

Nemo fish!

This is one of my favorite shots of the day. He's so calm and almost contemplative. So few things can quietly keep his attention like this!

Of course, Gavin had to point to almost every fish in every tank... just in case we didn't notice one.

In awe...

I'll just wait here, Mom and Dad. You can pick me up in a week.

Back out in the conservatory, we tried to convince Gavin to take a nice group shot with Mommy and Daddy.

He gave Gmummy a quick smile before Mommy and Daddy were quite ready...

... and was off. You snooze, you lose. I'm outta here!

We tried again outside...

... but I'll happily settle for a giggling boy getting raspberries from his daddy!

Shortly after seeing those two lines on the home pregnancy test back in April of 2007, I calculated the baby's due date and immediately felt like apologizing to little Chickpea when I realized he or she would likely be born within a week of Christmas Day. I was a bit relieved when Christmas came and went, and Gavin ended up being born in January. Still, having a birthday so close Christmas can be quite anticlimactic and I never want him to feel gipped on his birthday or wish he had been born another time of the year when kids get more attention on their birthdays. Simply showering him with more gifts barely more than a week after Christmas doesn't seem very special so I thought it would be better to take Gavin somewhere special each year for his birthday.

For his second birthday, seeing how much he loves Finding Nemo and is so happy just to watch the fish swim in the tank at the doctor's office, we decided to take him to one of North Carolina's aquariums. Yesterday, we headed out on I-40 to the aquarium at Fort Fisher. The aquarium is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean near Wilmington so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to show Gavin the ocean for the first time.

Gavin loved walking in the sand. North Carolina sand is much coarser than the Florida sand we're used to and is much easier to walk on.

Man, that's a big bath tub.

I wonder how many truck squirter toys I could fit in this tub...

It just boggles my mind...

Gavin thinks standing on one leg is funny...

Anything for that sweet smile...

Mommy probably shouldn't be doing things like this anymore, but I can't resist the joyful smiles and exhuberant laughter "flying" creates!

Gavin's laughter is by far my favorite sound in the whole wide world. :)

Gmummy and Aunt Kristen came along for Gavin's special day. Here, he almost tolerates a group shot...

Swinging with Mommy and Daddy...

OK, now it's Daddy's turn...

Wheeeeeee!

Family of three-and-a-half...

Off to find the aquarium... blog entry coming up next...