Watermelon Helmet

2nd in an unintended series of unknown length
From here

Just A Perfect Day

The Littlest Hobo turned one today. The one who's normally happiest in her own company - self contained and self amused - discovered what it's like to be the centre of attention.

And didn't she deserve it.

It was a milestone week for S - aswell as turning 1, she sang along to the chorus of her first song (see later - the words perfectly facilitate pre verbal singalongs), she stood unassisted for 5 whole seconds, she has been upgraded to a forward facing car seat (no more fuzzy head straining backwards around cushioned corners to participate in car conversations) AND she got her first pair of shoes earlier in the week. Further festooned with a new birthday gúna and a sunflower birthday crown, she had a lot to celebrate and was good to party.

Summer birthdays are where its at. S is the only one of the 4 of us with a long Summer day for a birthday. The party was a huge success, everyone was well fed and watered including a plague of wasps who went on a coulis rampage. There was handmade bunting, chocolate birthday cake, apple tart on the Cooley Peninsula and all manner of delicious soul food for all and sundry, all compliments of the ever resourceful M.

After the cleanup - and the cleanup for kids parties can be quite......calorific - and some well earned bobos for the littlest and largest hobos, we closed off the day with an extended riceball dinner listening to a perfect shuffle as the clouds stretched into crimson vapour and the girls sang along or downed tools and danced when the music stirred them. eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH-EH

Most everyone adhered to our request for books for birthday gifts. Thanks to all for your wonderful and throughtful gifts. Niall and Áine started S off early on the path of disembodied poetics by getting her a beautiful hardback edition of Shel Silverstein's Where The Sidewalk Ends which features the following beautifully simple toddler's manifesto :

Listen To The Mustn'ts
Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child.
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me -
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

Breithlá Sona Duit A S'ín

Big Girl's Bed

*Sigh* I've Arrived!

*S* is close behind....