Fun-filled Saturday

Ian had a great day on Saturday. First, Yu-an Yi arrived on Friday night just in time to say good night and on Saturday morning, she came with us to Chinese school. Ian was very excited that she was coming and wondered whether Daddy would come, too. No, Daddy had stuff to do at home, so we went. Yu-an Yi sat in for the first hour and for snacktime, then I dropped her off at the train station. Ian was very good about not coming over to us during class, but he would turn and look at us and grin whenever he did something. I think he also has a crush on a girl named Bianca. She's very cute. Her dad is Puerto Rican and her mom is half Chinese, half Portuguese. She's very smart and Hsiung Lao Shi has anchored her class around Ian and Bianca. Ian wasn't sitting next to Bianca at first, but then he managed to edge his way next to her for snacktime and was practically glued to her side. And he would watch Bianca whenever she answered questions. He luuuurves her!

After Chinese school, he was bummed that Yu-an Yi left, but got over it when I said we would go for pizza. He said, "Bu2 yao4 zai4 jia1 li3 chi1 pizza. Zai4 dian4 li3 chi1!" (Don't want to eat pizza at home. Eat at the pizza place!) We picked up Daddy and went to the pizzeria, where Ian proceeded to eat two big slices of pizza. Yowza!

At lunch, I told him that after pizza, we would go home to take a nap and then we would go to a birthday party. Whose birthday party? "Madison-Brian-Ian birthday party!" No, I said, just Madison today. He had an invitation to Madison's, one to Brian's and I saved one of his own invitations (he calls them birthday party pictures). He was extremely agreeable after that. We went home, he washed his hands and face voluntarily and headed up for a nap. He slept a good two hours and I had a hard time waking him up. He opened his eyes groggily and I asked if he wanted to go to Madison's birthday party. He closed his eyes and nodded. All of us went to the party and it was the best party EVER!

It was at a Boy Scout cabin and Ian's reaction when he saw it was "It looks like a barn." It kind of did. We walked up to the door and there was a little trailer next to the door and we could see a pony in it. So I thought maybe there would be pony rides. We walk into the cabin and there's a short entryway before you enter a huge, high-ceilinged room. Right smack in front of the entryway is a huge black pot-bellied pig. She was apparently very attached to the doormat and stayed on it the whole time. She was very friendly and her name was Daphne. To the left of the entryway, there were a few bales of hay upon which a goat and a shaggy tan sheep with horns were jumping and munching. Behind them was a big pen with two ducks and two rabbits. Next to the pen was the biggest jumpy castle we've ever seen. There was even a slide inside it. Straight past Daphne the pig was a table set up with party favors and balloons for all the kids. Each child had a ceramic piggy bank with his or her name hand-painted on it by Madison's mom. Past the kids' table against the wall was a table with drinks and a cd player, which was playing children's songs. To the right there were two pinatas hanging from the ceiling -- a pig and a cow. Past the pinatas, there were four long tables set up. Three were for the adults, with some cheese and crudite, and one was craft table where the kids could decorate their own animal masks. Behind that, there were bottles of wine and beer for the adults. What caught Ian's attention were the animal balloons attached to each table. There was a pig, a cow and a horse. Ian did not know what to do first. He just held my hand and stared and stared. He wanted to see the balloons, then he wanted to see the pig. No, the balloons. No, the jumpy castle. No, the goat. So many things! Then a few more of his school friends showed up (the boys) and he started getting more comfortable. They turned on a bubble-making machine and Ian went with Daddy to go catch bubbles. Finally, he felt comfortable enough to go into the jumpy castle and he probably jumped for a good 45 minutes straight before pizza and cake were served. All of the animals left, but the clown/magician/balloon animal maker showed up with his assistant. Ian's hair was completely soaked with sweat and he just sat drinking juice for a while, then finally had some pizza. He was not interested at all in eating cake. It was a really cute cake -- lopsided (on purpose) and colorful. But the cake was for the adults. Each child got his/her own cupcake that looked like the cake. They even had a candy candle on each. Pretty cool! Even cooler was the fact that Ian didn't want it and I got to eat it (chocolate cake, mmm...). Daddy got the clown to make Ian a balloon giraffe (Ian's request). He had a measly half slice of pizza and then wanted to go back into the jumpy castle. He must have jumped for another hour before we finally left. He was too busy jumping to take part in the pinata (just as well, since we don't need the candy) or the facepainting (not that he would have allowed anyone to paint his face). It was close to 7:00 when we went. We got to take home the ceramic piggy bank AND a goody box shaped like a barn.

BEST PARTY EVER.