Happy 3rd Family Day, Esther Si Di!

Three years ago yesterday, we met a little baby with big eyes and a shock of black hair, and our family changed forever.  So yesterday, we celebrated!  Different families celebrate in different ways, but we like to mark the anniversary of the three of us becoming a family by spending a day doing things that Esther likes.

So, for breakfast we had bacon (a rare treat in this household!) and blueberries.

In the morning, Esther rode her tricycle outside for a while and then got to watch all of Monsters, Inc. (okay, so not exactly a family-centered activity, but it is her current obsession).  Later, we colored Easter eggs!  It is the first year I have attempted coloring eggs with her and she loved it!  (So did I!)

For lunch, we ate out on her deck and Esther got to drink a chocolate milk box.  We interrupted our lunch to run and give a bag of plant matter to the garbage truck, and Esther told the guys on the truck all about her Family Day and the importance of being careful when putting a straw into a milk box.  I don't think they had the first idea what she was talking about, but they got a kick out of her earnestness.

After nap, we packed up a picnic supper and went to a nearby state park which has a fabulous playground.  Esther was in her element!  She was especially thrilled when a busload of teenagers showed up (before that, the playground had been deserted). She promptly struck up conversations with any of them who would listen, then grabbed one boy by the hand and towed him all of the play structure, much to the amusement of his peers.  (And if she thinks she will be able to treat her big brother like that, we are in for trouble!  I told the boy he could say no, but he said that it was good exercise.  I feel vindicated--even a teenage boy is challenged to keep up with her!  ;-)

In the evening, our church had a Christian Seder.  (Seder = traditional Jewish passover meal.)  Esther loved getting to taste all the different kinds of food (although she needed a drink of water in a hurry after trying the "bitter herbs" dipped in horseradish sauce!).  She especially loved the four "cups" of "fruit of the vine" (grape juice in our case), which were served in the same kind of cups that we use for communion.  Since we don't let her take communion yet, those little cups of juice are like the holy grail to her.

And of course, we told her lots of times how glad we are that she's part of this family!  This morning Esther asked me, "Is it still my Family Day?"  I get the feeling she enjoyed it!  :-)