p is for party

Friday morning 6.30am: “Mum is it my birthday today?”

6.31am (after I nudged Daniel to wake up): “Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to YOU!”
6.33am: Che stands up, looks at himself and declares that he is most definitely bigger. We then ask him to look under the bed and in all his hurried excitement he pulls the presents out and bumps his head. “I’m ok!” He opens some books, a ruler, some clothes and, finally, the lego jet plane. His response: “I have wanted this for all of my life, for years and years. It is wonderful! It is amazing! Let’s build it now!”
So while I baked cookies and made sandwiches and prayed for the sun to stay and the wind to stop, Daniel and Che started building lego. A few hours later we headed to the park that was, unfortunately, wildly windy. Gale force. Like nature was celebrating the birth of Che – my air child – it has been windy on his 1st, 2nd, 3rd and now 4th birthday. We played at the park for half-an-hour then headed to Mama and Popa’s house for tea, cake and party food (in the calm that was shelter).
The lego cake was a hit (oh the vivid sweetness that is food colouring!), the party hats made for lots of fun and the wild duck sitting on her soon-to-be-hatched eggs in Popa’s vegie patch provided a little bit of ‘farmyard’ entertainment. I was reminded, like I am every year, that with little kids it’s the simple things that are the best. Who knew that star-shaped vegemite sandwiches, party poppers and stripy straws could keep a bunch of four-year-olds happy?
My favourite moment of the party was when Che’s little (girl) friend Vali came running back into the house to give him a handmade pressie: “Che, this is a pink clay love heart that I made for you,” she said. And then we all melted.
The night before his birthday I cuddled with him in bed and, like every year around this time, I shared with him the story of his birth.
“Four years ago I had some niglings in my belly and I knew that you were coming. You were about to arrive in the world. So we went to the hospital and after a few hours there you were born. Daddy cut the umblicial cord that was attached to your belly button and I cuddled you for hours and hours. You made me a Muma that day.”
“How did I make you a Muma?”
“Well, before you were born I didn’t have any children.”
And then he starts crying and exclaiming: “You didn’t have any children!”
“It’s ok sweetie, I’ve got you now. You and Poet are my children.”
“And you’re our Muma.”
And then he fell asleep.
B is for birth-day, f is for four and l is for love. A sweet friend of mine sent me a text message yesterday and informed me that a four-year-old asks an average of 437 questions per day. I think four will be fun, frivolously so.
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Showing 34 comments
  • Hazel
    Reply

    Happy Birthday Che, it looks like a perfect day!

  • Shelley
    Reply

    Sounds like Che had the perfect birthday! I love that sweet hand made heart – precious!

    Ps. My 4 yo asks a LOT of questions and have been of the deep and meaningful kind lately. 4 is such a cute age!

  • Dee
    Reply

    happy birthday sweet boy~!
    4yo boys also get taller. and skinnier…this is the age they start looking more like boys than toddlers~~
    precious years

    X

  • lou
    Reply

    Oh simply lovely. I have a brand new 4 year old in our home. His party is today… dragons party. And yes I can vouch for 400+ questions a day… I love 4, its a gorgeous age. Happy Birthday Little (big) man Che. Lou xx

  • Yasmin
    Reply

    My favorite part was "I have wanted this for all of my life, for years and years"! What a sweet, sweet boy…and what a lovely day xx

  • ::The Beetle Shack::
    Reply

    and what a lovely day it was! Beautiful photos! I was looking forward to seeing what they turned out like! I must, must, must order that new lense!

    xx

  • Katrina (capturing moments)
    Reply

    Happy birthday Che. What a lovely sunny, (yes windy) beautiful day it was for you to celebrate! The lego cake looked yummy! xx

  • Tammi
    Reply

    Oh what a glorious looking day you all had. Those books and that ruler rock but I have to say that heart takes the cake 🙂

    x

  • Bungalowgirl
    Reply

    Love the lego cake, isn't it amazing how a box of plastic bricks just does it every time. We had similar comments over the Lego garage at age 5 this year. melx

  • jody
    Reply

    Oh happy birthday sweet Che! xx

  • Megan.K.
    Reply

    Happy Birthday Che!
    4 is so much fun Jodi.
    Melli insisted on the exact same pointy party hats for her 4th too they were a big hit! Can't have a party without party hats 🙂
    x

    p.s your blog photos just get better and better. love them.

  • Genevieve
    Reply

    So so sweet. 4 is such a wonderful age.

    Happy Birthday Che!

  • Simply Bike
    Reply

    what a lovely day! Happy birthday to your beautiful boy!

    S.

  • Jane
    Reply

    Happy Birthday Che. boy oh boy, a Lego cake! very cool. Jane x

  • Mili O
    Reply

    Oh man, he is THE cutest! Happy Birthday! Very beautiful photos to capture the day as well.

  • Gaby
    Reply

    sounds like the most wonderful of birthdays! what a lucky boy he is 🙂

  • kristi
    Reply

    happy celebrating over there. x.

  • Rhiannon
    Reply

    Happy Birthday to the big 4 year old boy Che!
    He sounds like such a vibrant soul.
    Luv Rhi x

  • The Franglaise
    Reply

    "I have wanted this for years and years": Che you are a sweetie! Happy birthday big boy!

  • tea with lucy
    Reply

    Happy birthday darling che-che. it's been wonderful to watch you grow over the years, you a gorgeous thing.

    …and happy birth-day to you jodi. can't believe he's four.

    xo

  • MollyFera
    Reply

    Happy birthday beautiful boy!

  • Ella
    Reply

    Happy day sweet boy!! it looks like a fantastic party.

  • Sini
    Reply

    Perfect birthday 🙂 Hyvää syntymäpäivää Che! I would love that kind of day too.

  • Mama of 2 boys
    Reply

    Oh Jodi, the beauty in your writing always gives me goosebumps… and a few little tears today too!
    Happy Birthday sweet little Che! What a beautiful boy you sound like, such a gift to your Mama and Dada. I see every birthday as a special celebration of the birth story too Jodi. I never want to let go of that magic day :o) Glad the party went well, that wind was relentless.
    Superb lego cake too, clever clever baker xo

  • fast times in münchen.
    Reply

    Happy Birthday Che Che! Looks like you had an unreal day little dude. And that cake is amazing. Happy 4 xx Ps Che sounds like the sweetest boy.

  • one claire day
    Reply

    Aww Happy belated birthday little Che! I'm glad your day was filled with love, colour and fun!

    X

  • Bridget
    Reply

    Happy birthday to dear little Che!! Sounds like a great day. And that little (girl) friend of his….wow….

  • Tori
    Reply

    My goodness, your life is a dream! What a sweet & inquisitive boy you have. Happy birthday, Che!

  • captain kk
    Reply

    happy birthday to your gorgeous, kind-hearted, little boy! we've just survived 2 birthday parties within 2 weeks of each other plus everyone we know being in town for it! was wonderful, but i'm only just getting over the celebrations 🙂 i've been meaning to ask you where you got che's teepee? i've been meaning to get one for mirka for ever, but find it hard to find a neutral one. anyway, loving your blog lately. have a lovely week!

  • Nell
    Reply

    Happy Birthday Che, you sweet sweet boy. Birthday's rock xx

  • Catherine
    Reply

    Happy birthday Che it looks like you had such a special day. Love the cake and the handmade heart, so so sweet:) xo
    P.S. I was looking through a magazine I bought today and saw a lovely article with your beautiful family in it:) I just wanted to say congratulations:)

  • Luisa Brimble
    Reply

    Oh Jodi you write so beautifully! Your stories always makes me melt. You have such a beautiful family and it's so very precious. Happy 4th Birthday Che! WOW!!!!

  • ashley
    Reply

    p is for perfect. happy birthday wee one. x ashley

  • GSims
    Reply

    You know, we as Mothers forget that the birth of our first/only child is our very own First Mother's Day. Thankyou for such a heartfelt blog.

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