peter did it, he turned 1

Much to my dismay, Peter woke up on March 15th and went right ahead and turned one.  The little pickle. 

It was a beautiful day.  I had hopes of spending the whole day just doing things that he’d enjoy, just soaking in my little joy boy, spending all my attention on my dear little forth baby who is always so good to be shuffled around with the chaos.  But then the big kids declared we should have a party for him in the cricket pitch and somehow they got me on board and somehow, though it was a simple enough idea, it took over the day.  And the poor little birthday boy didn’t get the attention I was hoping to shower on him.  But, I think I minded this more than he did.  He is quite an easy going little fellow. 

We baked a cake – which is harder than normal here without things like a mixer and a Betty Crocker box….which they sell here but a trip to the store on the opposite side of the road with 4 kids and a car that has a pretty much breaks down half the time we get loaded up in it seemed more difficult than trying to make one from scratch.  But boy, making that cake from scratch wasn’t too easy either….I tried to use all kinds of contraptions to whip the eggs and beat the butter in the absence of my kitchen aid.  Somehow my devices were lacking because the cake didn’t bake properly, I took it out and put it back in until it was hard and dry.  It was a disaster.

Then we got the games all ready.  I was hoping Hazel and Charlie (whose idea this was in the first place) would run around organizing the baby Olympics they had dreamed up.  But, in classic kid fashion they saw themselves as more of the big idea people… apparently I was to be the executer. 

And I made chili (Peter’s first and favorite food). 

And we blew up balloons and set up the table.

And our guests arrived.

Sammie was the only guest who is Peter’s peer.  And boy does she ever love that boy.  A little too much at times, but Peter is getting used to the fatal attraction affection.  Just as Hazel and Charlie predicted, Peter loved roaming free on the cricket pitch.  Peter is quite the ladies man.  I don’t blame those ladies, he is quite a charmer. This was the crawling race.  See Peter in the middle there, all confused?  Despite the fact that everyone else had the crabwalk handicap he still came in dead last.  And here he is in the running race with Charlie….looks like it’s more of a dragging race for him. While the other kids played tag and did relays Peter practiced his “standing on his own” trick.  He is quite pleased with himself when he realizes that he is on his own.  He thinks it’s a funny joke we are playing on him and always chuckles before he falls down. Thankfully with the setting sun the weather turned a little bit more chill and we were all ready for the Chili.  Peter opened presents.  He was very serious about the whole thing, quite interested and a bit perplexed by all the attention. He was even more perplexed by the cake and the candle.  But, he was delighted with the singing.  We discovered, on his first birthday, that Peter loves to sing.  Every time after we sang Happy Birthday to him he broke out into his own little baby song.  He was unmistakably singing every time. 

Peter didn’t seem to care at all that the cake I baked and didn’t bake and then baked again was hard and dry.  He loved every messy morsel.  Even tried to eat it through his nose. 

Happy Birthday little Peter.  You are our pride and joy.