Happy Third Birthday

I took a vacation day from work so that I could spend the day with Chas and Angie. I always try to be home for Angie's birthday--last year she and I danced for the entire day. This year we planned to take Angie to the "Wild Things" exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society (site of our first date). We have been reading "Where the Wild Things Are" to Angie in anticipation of this trip.

The Exhibit was great. As we entered the room, there were giant wooden cut-outs of Max as the King of the Wild Things and a Wild Thing. Angie ran between the two and hugged them saying, "It's the King! It's a Wild Thing (Or Lion)! Rowr!" We also frequently climbed in the boat that Max used to go to the place where the wild things are. Angie insisted on steering, but she wouldn't tell me where we were going. Angie also kept running to a giant poster of wild things and shouted, "The Wild Things are swinging in the tree!"

Other Sendak books were part of the exhibit so Angie cooked in the night kitchen and slid down a very slippery slide to a big bowl of Chicken Soup with Rice! Yes we do have pictures. Angie dressed in two Wild Things costumes and wandered around the exhibit. And yes the costumes were made for children much larger than Angie so her feet and hands disappeared regularly. Angie didn't mind at all.

Then we had a picnic outside and Angie chased the squirrels and birds. The birds were not foolish and took off as soon as they saw the large aqua and green object hurtling toward them. The squirrels would let Angie come within about two feet before they realized that she wouldn't back down.

Angie took a brief nap on the ride home. Far too brief. For dinner we had "roly-olies" (ravioli) and bagels (garlic bread). For the first time that I can think of, she did not finish her ice cream. Pasta night usually requires a soap bath, which Angie just loves--she can stay in the tub for an hour. Tonight she wanted out shortly after I finished washing her hair. A clear sign that she is tired.

Once Angie was clean, dressed and hair brushed, we gave her our presents. We went a little retro this year: Koala Brothers viewmaster discs and Dora colorforms. We also gave her a book of jigsaw puzzles. She asked for more presents (I think she likes the tearing and ripping), then left to go play with her viewmaster for a bit.

I think she had a nice birthday.