BIRTHDAY BANTER

This week, there's lots of talk about parties around here, mainly because our second attempt at D's 40th birthday celebration is planned for Saturday.  The children are excited and we're busily preparing for the gathering. The party/birthday talk extended to many a car trip this week, with my favourite being a conversation between Elsa and Rafael yesterday:


* Rafael "I come to your birthday party Else?" (her birthday was in June!)

* Elsa "of course you will"

* Rafael "and the next one?"

* Elsa "yes, of course! You're my brother, you'll come to all my birthdays even when we're old, old kids"

* Rafael smiles

* Elsa "we love each other, we're best friends. You know that"

* Rafael "me love you to Else"
* Elsa "I love you too Rafi"

At which point, I glance at them in the rear-view mirror and see Elsa take her brother's hand without the slightest glance in his direction - just a natural reaching out, a beautiful little expression of love and reassurance as she watched the world passing by. At the next red light, some 3 kilometres up the road, I turned to look back and they were still holding hands. A very sweet sibling moment that I was so lucky to share.

And I do hope they will always share their birthdays with one another in some way, regardless of age or geography. And I wouldn't mind joining in with their Dada either! For now, we focus on his belated birthday celebration and look forward to sharing the day with friends from near and far.

I just realised, he doesn't have a birthday crown! :)