How to Turn Three for the Second Time

Sody's first Third Birthday was on her actual birthday, January 2. It involved a family trip to Chuck E. Cheese, fun with Grandpa and Grandma and a few presents. In other words, a nice little age appropriate low key birthday celebration. I am slightly mortified that I haven't even mentioned the day til just now - my baby is THREE! it's a big deal! how can I have a blog about her and not talk about her birthday?! - but I am going to pretend that my sloth in blog-keeping is only because I was waiting to talk about her second Third Birthday as well.

Birthday #2 was this past weekend. Slightly late but hey, at least it's still January. And let's face it: she is three and has a limited awareness of the calendar, so she doesn't care when her birthday party is. Actually, closer to the truth is that she wouldn't even realize she needed a birthday party. But since Mommy loves a theme and everybody likes cake, a birthday party it was. A few of Sody's buddies, the accompanying parents who are our buddies, pre-nap start time: your basic preschooler rager.

Theme: The Sound of Music (Sody's favorite movie)
Food: Quasi-Austrian (apple strudel, red cabbage salad, "schnitzel" with noodles - it was really chicken nuggets)
Cake: golden yellow from a mix (THE HORRORS. what have I become?? a mix?!) with homemade chocolate frosting and decorated with edelweiss
Decorations: warm woolen mittens, snowflakes and cream colored ponies, of course.
Dress: Sody and I wore our white dresses with blue satin sashes. No one else embraced the theme - not even a single Hitler mustache in the bunch. Hmph.

So we frolicked and sang and ate and partied and wished Isota a happy birthday again. She deserved it.

Putting 2011 To Bed

I have to admit, 2011 wasn't our greatest year ever. I don't want to dwell on the negatives of the past 365 days (Resolution #27: Accentuate the positive! Eliminate the negative!) but I will say I am not too sad to see this year go. But we are all healthy and happy, so here is to that and to looking forward. Here is how we closed out our 2011:


We put up our Christmas decorations. Sody decorated the trees all by herself.


We BARTed to the city with Grandma and Grandpa for Mommy's birthday: Burger Bar in Union Square and getting caught in hordes of Christmas shoppers and stuffing our faces. Fun!


Sody did get a little tired on that trip, though.


There was a Christmas party at Mommy's office. Our Santa was one of my coworkers (shhh! don't tell Sody!) and when Sody realized it was almost her turn to sit on his lap, she solemnly turned to me and said, "I am not going to cry, Mommy." She wasn't *totally* comfortable, but she did not cry, as promised.


Then I took her for a ride around the halls at work on one of our red carts, which was awesome until she put her hand between the wheel and the frame and smooshed her finger. Totally my fault for letting her ride on here. Not cool, Mom.


She got a new doll for Christmas, which was obviously a hit. Another favorite present was a dollhouse, and I know that one was a favorite because that is the toy she would describe to strangers after Christmas. "Hi, my name is Sody...I got a DOLLHOUSE!" She also likes to ask random people we meet if they like her outfit, which cracks me up...but I digress.


One of our best days ever was New Year's Eve. We took Sody out to her first movie ever, The Muppets. Not only was the movie great, but her reaction to it was beyond anything I could have imagined. It was just so fun to watch her watch the movie. She was totally into it. She got the magic of the whole experience, I think...like, she would just turn to me in the middle of the movie and all incredulously exclaim, "MOMMY! We are in a MOVIE THEATER!" like it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. I can't explain it, but it was just one of those simple perfect nights that are hard to come by. The nights you can't really plan, they just serendipitously come together and the pieces fall into place and you look around and just think, Yes. This is a perfect night, a perfect memory, a perfect life.

Also, she was allowed to have popcorn that night, which was a very big deal and probably the real reason she was so happy.

At any rate, a great way to end the year on a high note. Thanks Muppets, thanks family, thanks friends, thanks everybody. Let's all have an amazing 2012, ok?