Caleb at Two

Caleb turned two on Monday. Madeline helped wrap his presents: Bright red paper quilted over the gift in ill-fitting patches, blotches of tape all adrift.

To Caleb, they were the most immaculately wrapped gifts since the dawn of the Martha Stewart era. Upon seeing the two globs of tape and red paper, his eyes widened and his chin dropped. He cast nervous looks to mom. Are they really mine? What's the catch?

No catch, kiddo. Welcome to the joy of birthdays.

The next several minutes were awkward as brother and sister insisted it was pure insanity for mom and dad to assemble the toy before use. "Caleb, no. Give me back the screwdriver." "Madeline, please, I need that piece." "Stop touching that." "Sit. SIT. Would you...Hey, you guys want a lollipop?"

Then, thirty minutes of parental bliss as two silent children discovered the inexplicable joy of putting toy cars into a garage, and then taking them out again.