Audrey is turning two this week! Can you believe—two? Okay, well, I can believe. But still. Two!

A variety of friends and relations stopped by for tea on Saturday to celebrate. We typically do the no-presents thing for birthday parties, both because we don’t need more stuff (please!) and because our kids tend to be overwhelmed by the whole gift-receiving thing, and a crying toddler does not a fun party make. It’s a good idea, I guess, except that the party guests hear all that and then bring gifts anyway, saying, “oh, but you didn’t mean me, did you?”

I meant you. Yes, you. All of you. Birthday parties are not an elaborate attempt at extortion. You do not need to give us stuff in order to get a slice of cake. We will give it to you anyway.

Except apparently I didn’t mean it, because look at what they brought this time:

Two of our friends made dolls for Audrey. (The ones on the left and the right. The one in the middle is from Nova. Buying dolls, I can do. Making them, not so much.) My mother made her the doll quilt, and my cousin made her the doll pillow.*

Audrey is thrilled, as dolls are The Thing. (The Other Things at the moment are art supplies—which she has only recently stopped trying to eat—wooden stacking shapes, and trucks, but the party was pretty much all about the dolls.)

She has explained perhaps two hundred and eighty-seven times now who can sleep on or under the “little special blanket” (dolls) and who can’t (brother, sisters). Sharing is clearly NOT The Thing yet. Eh, she’s got plenty of time to learn. She’s only two. Two! Oh my.

*There were other gifts as well, but I’m not much of a photo genius. I never remember to take pictures of anything. This is what we have on film. Work with me, people.