Silent Fits, Cake Smashes, and Sibling Chaos: Life with a Two-Year-Old

I am six kids in, and by now, I thought I had seen it all. But my two-year-old? He’s here to prove me wrong. Specifically, he’s invented something I like to call the silent fit.

Silent fits are genius. They don’t scream, they don’t interrupt Mass, they don’t get you looks in the grocery store. They’re subtle, almost sneaky, until… bam. His hand flops out of yours, and suddenly he’s on the floor, silently but dramatically protesting the world. Sometimes he peeks at me like, “Are you watching this?” or rolls onto his back for the full effect. It’s terrifyingly cute and kind of brilliant.

Case in point: his second birthday.

We do cake smashes for all my kids, once at one year old and again at two. After all, they're great photo ops and I am a photographer. Also, because let’s be real—by two, they get it. They understand cake. They understand mess. They understand chaos. And my older kids? Oh, they love jumping in. Some of my favorite pictures are of the older siblings grabbing frosting straight from the cake or gently “helping” him dig in… which usually looks like a frosting war.

Then came presents. The first one or two gifts went smoothly. The older kids were thrilled to help him open them—they love the role of gift assistant. But by gift three and four… everything changed. Suddenly, William was on his belly, throwing a silent fit because he simply did not want any more presents. And of course, the classic peek-up-at-Mom move. Then a roll onto his back for dramatic flair.

The Silent Fit In Action

And the siblings? They were in shock. Some tried negotiating: “William, just one more gift?” Others tried coaching: “It’s a toy! You like toys!” And one even tried bribing him with frosting. Spoiler: none of it worked.

There he lay, perfectly still but utterly dramatic, proving that the terrible twos are not only a thing - they’re an art form.

By the end of the day, he was tired, happy, and eventually forgiving of his present pile. But the chaos, frosting, and silent fits? That’s a memory I’ll never forget. And honestly? That’s the magic of this age.

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You plan every detail for your children’s memories—the birthday parties, the school photos, the keepsakes. Isn’t it time you had a moment like that too? Come to Kristian Hutchings Portraits and let me take care of everything, so you can relax, shine, and leave with portraits that celebrate you.

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Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday — even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all: the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

Welcome to Six Sweet Smiles — where we celebrate the mess, the miracles, and everything in between.