Birthdays & busy-ness

This Sunday (5th July) is Lilly's 3rd birthday.

We've gone for the do-it-by-someone-else option this year. Mostly because with a ten-week old in residence; setting up the house for guests and then de-setting up the house for us living in it again is just too much like hard work. They say money can't buy happiness, but I say it sure does buy plenty of laziness, and that's almost as good.

Lilly's first party was under-the-sea: Flavia and Mum mostly set everything up while I was at work, and then the night before we decorated the entire lounge-room with fishing nets over the ceiling and jangly fishes everywhere. Second party was in Brazil with the other half of the family, and that was mostly done by others. A bunch of people showed up with crepe streamers, boxes of stuff and turned the ground-floor of Vovo's (grandma's) house into a jungle. I am advised it was a garden actually. Big garden, trees and vines....

This year, it's fairies and pirates. We are quietly eating all those pre-parenting slogans such as "We're not going to do all that pink and Barbie stuff, she's unique" Well, she's unique, but she likes pink, princesses, Barbie, fairies and frilly dresses. She likes boots, mud, painting, and running around the house semi-clothed shouting "I'm not naked", jumping (on the wooden floor) whilst holding a finger to her lips to indicate that she's well aware that the small-dude is asleep and is only jumping, rather than jumping-and-shouting and therefore, doing everyone an immense favour at great cost to herself.

Makes me realise how completely naive I was when I thought some sort of coloured clothing might limit her.

We're looking forward to seeing the results of sugar, cordial, an adult fairy and a dozen other 2-4 year olds placed in a room. And then, at the allotted time, we're also looking forward to coming back home with Nanna, Mum, Mr Small & Little Miss 3.