Celebrating four years of Iz!

The Winnipeg School Division and the universe must have been working together, as they perfectly timed a day off.  A and Ai were delighted they got to stay home for Iz's birthday, and it worked out well that our guests were happy to come for an extended play day - from 10:15 - 3:45!   There's not much better to do when it's still around -20 C and the kids were all playing so well together.  It just so happens that A's best friend from school this year (who sadly moved in January and is now elsewhere) has a little sister that we often bump into at a local gym playgroup.  Zev brought his girls over while our mutual friend, Rathy, came over with her daughter and the neighbour she babysits.

Gotta like a kid's practicality.  Wanting to wear a "body sweater" when she got cold,
Leila was in and out of her snuggly PJs all day (with her regular clothes underneath).

I'd woken up tired and had many interruptions from the kids before our guests arrived.  Meant I didn't quite have all the snacks or lunch ready, but it felt so good to have Zev and Rathy lug out my kitchen knives and cutting boards and start helping with lunch prep while we all visited.  It felt like we'd all been friends for years though us three grown-ups come from such different backgrounds:  Sri Lankan and Hindu, Ottawan and Jewish, Vancouverite and Christian.   It was eclectic but fun, easy company.

Rathy never smiles in photos, but she was having a good time!

I loved that I could keep low expectations for the meal and that I pleased all of us parents (and the kids, too) with Iz's "cake":  a tower of blueberry bran muffins!  Couldn't pull that off at many kid parties!

She did actually have 4 candles on there, but one's hiding.  And she did get a real cake later.  I was so busy with company all day that I didn't get to prepare dinner and cake for our neighbour guest who arrived at 4:30!  Sue and her daughters helped celebrate Iz the second year in a row and she was thrilled.  Also excited that I ordered Chinese food, too tired to throw something together.  Made for an exhausting, but exciting day. Left me thankful to have extended family back home who kindly remembered Iz and made her feel special all day, as well as friends here to help fill the gap of family.

She was one happy party girl!  

Now I'm back to my favourite overlap months where I get to have two kids the same age for four and a half months.  It always reminds me of how unique our "family planning" was.  :)