Whew!

[eve_prime]

We've survived the big day! D. didn't open his presents until after coming home from preschool at 5:15 p.m., and what a pile of them there were to greet him. We'd gotten him about 20 things without spending much: books, puzzles, a ball, a poster, a videotape, Henry (a train engine), a small stuffed animal (a beaver this time, since we have so many ducks around the house -- R. went to Oregon State but the rest of us are all UO'ers), a small wind-up dinosaur ("a robot dinosaur!" D. exclaimed), a box of dinosaur magnets, and two bigger but still inexpensive presents -- a thing like Marbleworks and "Bravemore Castle." Soon we'll be investing in the huge sets of Legos like we used to for B., I am sure, but it's nice that at 4, quantity counts too. Today he also got a whole bunch of tempura paints and a brush from B. and an easel and a Thomas the Tank Engine set from his grandparents in California.

Here's the official birthday portrait. He's wearing a neat Smithsonian t-shirt from our friend coleoptera in Atlanta, which has glow-in-the-dark constellations! The t-shirt, that is, though I bet Atlanta does too. ;)


I'm a bit overwhelmed to realize that we have about 41 people coming to our party at the park on Sunday, but I think we can get away with just birthday cake, beverages, pretzels, chips, etc.