THE SECOND CROWNING

It was Elsa's birthday last Friday and we can't believe she's two! It's a cliche I know but I'm going to say it anyway, where has the time gone?!?

Her actual birth-day was relatively calm, except for the early morning gift opening session in our bed when gave her a (toy) guitar and she played it and sung at the top of her voice! Noisy and lovely all at once. We spent the early the morning hanging out with Dada at home while he tried to balance meeting a work-related deadline and sharing the birthday-related activities such as sharing her birth story (in a way she could comprehend!) and gift opening.

I was so happy with her response to the gifts I made her...she cuddled the cat, had it chase the mouse and rocked the baby all while wearing her new hat. The birthday crown taken from Soulemama was also much enjoyed. I used hand-dyed felt from Winterwood and lined it with the same. The beads are from a stash I've had forever. I'm always amazed by how much she seems to appreciate the hand-made. I guess they mostly do but still, the difference astounds me (and was very satisfying after all those late nights knitting and sewing away!).

Birthday 'stash'; gifts made by Mama, carrot slices made by her cousin and a wooden cow (Winterwood) and beaver (for a touch of Canadian)

By mid-morning we were at the "big park" with Gnocchi (the dog) in-toe enjoying the last of Autumn, in the village chosing lollies for the birthday cake and racing around trying to find the nicest Lamingtons on offer. Elsa chose a train cake and this was the result....so quick and easy, which was important at the end of a busy birthday month! I will have to make her a cake for play group on Thursday, which made me feel better about buying the Lamingtons for this one! (slacker!).

She was sooo very tired from the morning activities that her day time 'nap' extended to 4pm (!) and missed a call from her Yiayia who is travelling in Greece (from Canada where she lives). But her late sleep did allow us to venture out for fish and chips for her birthday dinner and come home for cake afterwards. She was so patient to wait all day for some cake; we did have to succumb to some lollie eating to get us there but hey, that's what birthdays are for!

Yesterday we went to Healesville Sanctuary with two of her cousins and they all seemed to have a fantastic day. The animals were truely 'performing' for us; at least it felt that way. One Koala was actually runnning around on the ground, jumping between branches and even wee-ed on the ground in front of us (have you ever seen a Koala awake let alone moving? let alone weeing!), a kangaroo came right up to the kids and the platypus swam up to us repeatedly (never had much luck seeing one before!). We felt very privelaged.

the weeing koala! Poor koala, nothing's sacred

Checking out the kangaroo wearing another birthday gift made by Mama

(there are other ways to use Opal sock wool than for socks!)

It was back to her cousins where she got to blow out her candles again and we ate the remainder of the train cake. And she received such amazing gifts from her aunt, uncle and cousins. The Corolle doll was a particular hit. I used to go into West of the Moon when we lived on Salt Spring Island, Canada long before Elsa was with us and hope that one day I'd get a chance to buy one of these dolls for a child of mine; I didn't have to, her aunt took care of that! While she is loving the doll, who she's named 'Maxie', she enjoyed every little bit of the gift and is sure to for some time to come. Check out the wonderful pram that 'Maxie' came in.

She sung "happy birthday dear Elfa" all the way home...and that was at 9pm so she was still very tired today! Ahhh birthdays.

I shouldn't forget the fun paper-mache aminals that her Dada brought home from Burma for her last time round and stored away for her birthday...nice to have a Dada who plans ahead! Or the books we've collected for her throughout the year to give to her on her birthday by the likes of Pat Hutchins, Shirley Hughes, Gerda Muller and Loek Kloomps

And then there were the stickers and dress that arrived from yiayia and her aunt, uncle and cousins in Toronto! And there's still more to come from Nana in Sydney!!! Lucky, lucky Elsa!