C’s Fourth Birthday Party

C’s first birthday (that is, the birth day… his zeroth?) it was a beautiful day, sunny and hot. The next birthday, rainy and unseasonably cold. The next? Rainy and unseasonably cold. The next year we celebrated his birthday a month late, so it was nice. This year? Rainy and cold. Sunday, it was a lovely sunny day and we went for a hike in the forest. The day of the party was cold and crappy. But, I can see a pattern here and did not plan another doomed-to-failure picnic. I planned a relatively small mexican buffet and cake deal. What a fun party.

My mom sent C some books and other things for his birthday. When the package came, we opened a couple things right away and saved the rest for the actual birthday. This book, about Apple Tree Farm, was an instant hit. Bedtime reading every night for the last two weeks.

We had waffles for starters at the party. One of C’s favorite foods, so we had to have it. Served with brunost, of course, and a variety of jams.

And we had smoothies, too. We discovered that we actually live pretty close to a nice big grocery store (it’s on the busline towards my new school/ place of employment). And they have big bags of mixed frozen fruit, perfect for smoothies.

Harper was our only child-aged guest. I thought the birthday energy might get a little out of hand if we had more guests, so we kept it small. Yes, those are drink umbrellas!

Chris wrote a countdown program to tell us exactly when C turned four. Luckily 4:45:03 am (his birth second) translates to 1:45:03 pm, here! When the countdown was over, we started opening presents.

C is opening the pirate-themed legos that was a present from Harper, Tony, and Susan. Thanks guys!

Harper and family weren’t able to make it to Ruby’s party, and they’ve been keeping this present for her ever since. It’s a Babar book, in Norwegian (cute!) and a stuffed elephant. It’s hard to explain, but the elepahant folds out into a pillow and Ruby totally loves it. Thanks guys!

Johannes gave C an audiobook in Norwegian. We haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet, but I think C will like it. His teachers have all told me recently that he is speaking much more Norwegian at school, and with the other children. Thanks Johannes!

My mom made a series of cards with foamy farm animals with birthday themed poems. The kids both liked them a lot.

One of the things from Grandma Susie and Grandpa Randy was a glow in the dark stars and planets set. Sure to be a big hit. That’s our friend Stanislav in the background.

… and with Ruby that makes a Sunday Picture. C’s birthday was Monday. 4 years old! It was some kind of national religious holiday, so we had the party on that day. The party was a big success. We had waffles, smoothies, coffee/tea, tortillas and chips, bean dip, queso, and quacamole. Yummo! The weather was crappy, though. Tuesday C was back at school and outside the whole day again. At least the weather calmed down. We brought ice cream treats for everyone and they celebrated C’s birthday. They sing, get a special table with a friend for lunch, and blow out a candle on a pretend cake (a decorated paper box). And Tuesday Chris had to go to Sweden for work all week. I watched a few different episodes of things (finished Andromeda — ouch) and did a lot of knitting. Restarted the cotton top, examined and restarted the lace project 5 times! Saturday Chris returned triumphant from the duty-free store and we made Bananas Foster with Lauren (or “banana flosters” as the kids called it). Chris and I started playing Titan Quest again because of the expansion pack. It’s a good game!

Ruby is looking at one of the lego pieces from Harper and family; on the right you can see the clock/lamp that C got from Stanislav. It was a huge hit — C totally loved it. Thanks Stanley!

After presents, we played a little game. I hid little bags of favors in the living room and the kids ran around to find them.

C and Ruby are eating choclate and raisins. Harper isn’t in these pictures because she already ran off to ask her mom if she could eat the chocolate.

I guess… Johannes wants chocolate?

Done lurking, Joahnnes is helping Ruby open the foil-wrapped choclate coins.

Auntie Lauren said “smile”!

Cutest. Girl. Ever.

Chris recently finished a new computer game for the kids (fun for adults, too!). I don’t know if I can really describe it, but you move the buttons on the game pad around and it makes different patterns based on how far away from eachother two dots are.

You move the joysticks, not the buttons.

Each of the analog joysticks moves a point around, relative to this other point, and… it maps the whole structure to each of the primary branches, but recursively… so it’s like, binary trees, see…

Alright, I can’t really describe it, either. But it’s really cool!

Yes, she has two noisemakers. She was actually getting both of them to blow out, too!

Happy Birthday to C! The cake is more or less as he requested. Chocolate, strawberries, Norwegian flags… but minus salmon.

I think Lauren caught Ander under the chair trying to eat this ribbon.

Sort of.

C asked for chocolate cake. With salmon. And chicken. And cholocate. With candy on top.

The light was very poor today, so I had to take a flash shot of this totally cute scene. Harper was putting her face very close to Ander so he would sniff her.

The lighting is so weird on this one; maybe I had my finger over the flash?

We got this toy a while ago, it’s a series of little sloped tracks and there’s a small wooden train-thing that drives down them. Hard to explain, but lots of fun.

These flags were on C’s cake, and he’s sticking them into one of the stawberries.

Yeah, it’s like a tradition here to have lots of Norwegian flags around for birthdays (and maybe holidays?).

If it was in the States, this would creep me out. But it isn’t, so it doesn’t.

Lauren blew up the balloons and let them fly.

Tried to squeeze everyone in for the physical photo album … here’s the synopsis.