Four!

Delphine just had her fourth birthday! To celebrate, Blake took the day off work and we had a nice quiet day together. We all went to the bike shop and Delphine got herself a new green bicycle! It's very pretty and she rides with verve and confidence, mainly because they have numerous pedalled vehicles at daycare. She also got a Playmobil house, which seemed exorbitant but I hope it will amuse her and Cordelia for years to come. Playmobil stuff is so cool.

Those were the main presents; in addition to that bounty she got a puzzle, a Little Red Riding Hood Cape, a bunch of books, some markers and paints... all kinds of things. I almost never buy her any toys apart from at Christmas and birthdays, so she gets buried under an avalanche of stuff twice a year.

Later on Delphine's big day, Ursa and her mom and new baby brother came over, along with Baba and Zaida and Morgan and Erik. We all had pizza and cake (yellow cake with pink lemonade icing) and everyone seemed to have a nice time. I was torn between having a big party, which I really didn't want to do, and just having a family dinner which seemed too small and quiet. I think the extended family plus Ursa gathering that eventually happened (after a whole day of planning) was perfect.

We have taken Delphine out of daycare. It was a decision after its time, since daycare was just a big indulgence what with me not working and all. I am a little scared of the prospect of life without "days off"; I got a lot of mileage out of the just-Cordelia days, running errands and doing housework. But plenty of people somehow manage to run their households while raising all their children, so I am sure I will manage it too. Delphine will quite enjoy it, I think; for the last few weeks she has been saying she doesn't want to go to daycare, she just wants to stay home with me. Be careful what you wish for, child. I suspect she will be quite happy to go to Kindergarten in the fall.

Delphine and I are reading Ramona the Pest, an actual novel-type book with chapters and really very few pictures! It was recommended in a "Read to your Kids" book I just read, and I thought I would give it a whirl. I suspected Delphine would get sick of it after a page of two without pictures, but she sits patiently and listens, and wants to carry on to the next chapter ever night. I am very excited to read her a book I remember enjoying myself, a real proper book!