Party like it's 2011
Today we're going to Zander Cheap's 2nd birthday party. I frequently call my son, Aleksander, Ksander for short. He doesn't call himself Nano anymore, but he calls himself Ananada Mipole. He calls daddy Mipole Roba, brother Kikodai Gegy and me Mama Dynn (close, but I don't mind that he doesn't call me Dara). Although he doesn't have all of the consonant sounds down, if you know our names you understand that he knows the names well. So, when I told him we are going to Zander's birthday, he tried to tell me it was HIS birthday and that HIS full name is Zanda Mipole Cheap. We had to correct him, but now he knows his full name: Ananada Mipole Shepi (Shefchik). I realized today also that he can recognize all numbers 1 - 10 except 6 and 9. We're making progress, and it is fun because he understands the ages of his friends and what happens to their age during a birthday party.
This is our 5th birthday of the year already and it's still January. We kicked off the year with Julia and Waylon's 3rd at the Alaska club pool. Julia and my son's dads work together, the kids go to daycare together, have sleepovers, and they will probably go to kindergarten together. I like to watch them play because they can have a lot of fun together. So, this month: Julia 3, Waylon 3, Nikolai 1, the birth of our left photographed friend Amanda's (Slate 0), Zander 2. I photographed my 3 friends in their 3rd (Amanda), 2nd (Bobbi), and 1st (Seneca) trimesters 2 months ago. They didn't plan this; it just worked out this way. Our playgroup of around 4 (5 with Niko) is doubling fast! In the next few months (just kids considered) we'll have middle Bobbi's child's birth and her son Arthur's 3rd, on right Seneca's birth and her son Cedar's 3rd. Julia's big brother William will turn 5 (can't believe that). And with our other close friends Loda and Hilary (who we don't see as much because they have real jobs) will be celebrating Morgan 4 / Riley 1 and Ayla 3 (and you said it . . . Hillary will have a baby too). These are just the Alaskans; don't get me started on the rest. So, here's to another busy spring of births and birthday parties. I swear that whoever didn't have a baby last year is having one this year. It must be in-style or our biological clocks are ticking or something. Let's not forget Amanda's Jade who will be 4 this year. Thank you, Jade, for giving us something to celebrate between August and December. I can't believe you are the only one with a birthday in the last half of the year!
Today we're going to Zander Cheap's 2nd birthday party. I frequently call my son, Aleksander, Ksander for short. He doesn't call himself Nano anymore, but he calls himself Ananada Mipole. He calls daddy Mipole Roba, brother Kikodai Gegy and me Mama Dynn (close, but I don't mind that he doesn't call me Dara). Although he doesn't have all of the consonant sounds down, if you know our names you understand that he knows the names well. So, when I told him we are going to Zander's birthday, he tried to tell me it was HIS birthday and that HIS full name is Zanda Mipole Cheap. We had to correct him, but now he knows his full name: Ananada Mipole Shepi (Shefchik). I realized today also that he can recognize all numbers 1 - 10 except 6 and 9. We're making progress, and it is fun because he understands the ages of his friends and what happens to their age during a birthday party.
