he is 5!

He requested a "half-Spiderman, half-Transformers" party.  Given that he is unfamiliar with both (excepted some tangential knowledge acquired while cruising past character-themed bubble bath and gummy candies at the store), we opted for some red-and-blue colored paper cups and plates, and some spidery games at the party. 

Also, this double-layer masterpiece of a lemon cake that I somehow managed to pull off (I'm not usually very good at this sort of thing):

(notes of admiration welcome)

pin the Spiderman on his web

(they all lined up to hand over the loot! I guess they take this sort of thing pretty seriously)

His actual birthday was the day before the party, and maybe that's what caused some confusion.  When the grandparents called on the phone to wish him a happy day, I overheard him say that he was not yet 5.  After he hung up, I clarified: "You know, you are five now.  That's what it means to have a birthday."

He froze, completely shocked: "Really?  But I don't feel five..."

It happened, though, it really did.  There were two days of festivities and two cakes and plenty of witnesses.  He really and truly became a five year-old! 
I can't believe it, either.

first lost tooth

six-years old, with pigtails.  does it get any cuter?

yes!  just add a missing-tooth gap!

red, white and blue

We went to Sedona, AZ for a few days. Well, two of us did anyway.

(Chapel of the Holy Cross)

because we just can't get enough red rocks!

from the top, looking out:

from the bottom (and a few miles out) looking back up:

but the best part--the trails!  all the hiking and biking you could ever want.

somehow, we pulled ourselves away from the rocks; we kept driving until we could see some blue

and some good friends, too!

recognize anyone, parisian cousines?!?

meanwhile, back in the desert, they were practicing their hitting, and catching,

and home-running, and outfielding.

they're getting pretty good.

it doesn't get more red, white and blue than that.

 

We woke up to this:

So we stayed in and did this:

Snow and spring break.  Two perfect reasons to stay in our pjs all day.

impeccable taste in international film

We thought of P-roc and our penpals and your kids, Kari, when we watched "Frogs & Toads, Max's Magical Journey." It is a (low-budget) Dutch movie about a 6 year-old on the search for frog spawn and what could be more magical than that? 

There are songs about cooking and how snails walk, and his grandma rides a moped and she flips pancakes onto the ceiling and then waits for them to drop and Max takes showers in sprinklers and basically has a lot of fun.  The dubbing is not very well done, but it's still a sweet, sweet film that is perfect for rainy spring days.  My kids gave it: ten thumbs up! 

Birthday Gal

A. turned 6! 

She asked for a princess "tea party" themed party and that's what she got, with all manner of dainty, pink treats.  And games, too: pin-the-glass-slipper-on-Cinderella, and "musical carpets" with Jasmine, and "pass-the-poison-apple (snow white) and more! 

The guests all showed up in shimmering gowns, too.

But her favorite gift?  The new pink bat and balls!

Happy Birthday, our little baseball-loving princesa!!