This weekend we went to Geordan's 4th birthday party at an indoor play-place. (Richard and Julia, you'll like this one) Kara and Joe, we've mentioned before are friends of ours here. Kara is from B.C., and Joe is Irish. Kara is also the cousin (essentially, niece) of our very close family friends in Seattle so we met them shortly after moving here and just adore them. They have two boys, Geordan (now 4), and Rory (almost 2).
This was super fun! The 'pizza roller' I call it. I went through this several times and you just have to let go of any idea that might look 'cool' while doing so.
Top of the big slide (so fun!) This is one of the first play-places I've ever been to where it is equally fun for the parents and the kids. I said to Wayne that I'd like to rent it out for my birthday and as he was running around with Norah he said he heard four other dads say the same thing. This slide, in particular, was.....awesome.
It's lonnng, and steep and even as an adult you get that stomach-dropping feeling every single time. You might be able to see Norah's hair is being blown back by the speed of it!
Goin' it alone.
There's this soccer/basketball room, and a smaller play structure and ball-pool for 1-3 year olds and then a whole 'nother half of the building where there's a play area for 0-1 year olds, and a big room with cars/dress up/play houses/kitchens etc. Thankfully, this is a play place that does not activate my germo-phobe, instant desire to find hand-sanitizer. (too busy being a kid, I guess)
The birthday boy Geordan (4) taking his seat after an hour and a half of play time.
Geordan: "I can believe I'm four. There's so much I wanted to do with my 3's. This is hitting me really hard"
"What now? I don't even feel like I'm four"
"And I'm sleepy"
Thought this was so cute and Irish - Chicken nuggets, chips and sausages.
(the kids LOVED this meal)
Sweet, sweet Rory!
Geordan's party was genuinely so fun! We left going, "Wow, that was a great party..."
Waiting for the bus to go see Wayne at UCD.
"Wearin' my penny loafers, goin' to Daddy's work"
The other post-grad students are so lovely! This is Louise and Siobhan (Shuh-Vaughn), who whisked Norah away and played with her for an entire hour. They showed her the copy machine and made copies of her coloring book (her mind: blown), played with the giant pink bouncy ball and spun her in the swivel chair. As far as Norah's concerned, University is amazing!
This is the "Post Grad" Room (meaning Ph.D. students). Wayne's desk/cubby is straight back, with the computer screen. When Wayne was lecturing this last year they let him have one of the professor's offices (so nice!) but now that the semester's over, he's back into steerage. :)
We planned the visit so Karen (Nolan's wife) and I could come and bring treats for the post-grad room. ("Wife Wednesday", or yesterday was "Mommy-Monday" ?) And there's baby Hannah, the sweetest little cherub girl I know.
And this......Karen is SUCH an amazing friend. She and Nolan bought Norah this fairy door for Christmas. I think I posted about it. Well, yesterday at UCD, Karen said she "stopped by the fairy bakery" on her way over, and pulled this teeny-tiny Tupperware out of her purse. She put frosting and sprinkles on CHEERIOS!! (to leave for Norah's fairy, Rainbow). Picture, leaving the cookies and milk for Santa Clause - well this is what you do with your fairy and then she leaves you notes (ie, I write in teeeeny, teeeeny, teeeeny letters on the smallest scrap of paper you ever saw and leave it for Norah in the morning).
Why yes, parenting HAS become more complicated in the 21st Century/we make work for ourselves. But really, how magical is that? And how lovely is Karen? She's a keeper and I kind of want to just absorb her as a "2nd Wife" for our family because she's so amazing. :) haha!
And as with the cookies for Santa (hope no kids are reading this.....), parents have to eat the 'offerings' at night. Wayne and I stood there going, "what do we do with these? Will the fairy eat them? I guess we eat them, right??". So here's Wayne, enjoying a fairy-donut.
Honestly, he goes, "Mm, these are pretty good".
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