Big Is Beautiful

Today is Susannah's fourth birthday.

There comes a time in a girl's life when she discovers that, when it comes to gifts, "Small Is Beautiful." From then on, she wants diamond rings...But, at four, little girls think "Big Is Beautiful" - size, rather than expense, being the impact-factor. All Susie wanted for her birthday was a suitcase, to play Going On Holiday with: when we got her a real one for her, not a doll's one, she was blown away! And then Jo's parents gave her a high-chair and a car-seat for a new doll...so our "Big Is Beautiful" girl was beaming from ear to ear this morning! (They also sent a triangle for Noah, so percussion-boy was made up too.)

The cake that Jo and I finished making/decorating after midnight last night also went down a treat (visually - she won't eat it until her party, tomorrow). All Susie wanted was a round cake with sprinkles on it, so Jo baked a round chocolate cake, covered it in butter-icing, covered the sides with Hundreds and Thousands (harder than you might think), and I made a big "4" in rainbow-stripes of Smarties on the top. Jo also made several co-ordinating cup-cakes, (some of) which we ate today!

I took Susie round the corner to the florists to choose two lilys and two roses - 'Susannah' means 'lily'; her name is Susannah Rose; one flower for each year...It was the first time she'd gone into a 'posh' florists, and she was very excited. We want to buy her flowers every birthday, to establish a tradition. We also write in her card some things she's done for the very first time in the previous year, so she'll be able to look back when she is older. It's about treasuring memories in our hearts.

Later than planned (not only did we set off late, we also got lost on the way...) we met up with my parents at Chatsworth, to go to the children's farm and adventure playground. We started with a picnic, then the farm, then the playground. When we first went to the farm, Susie was terrified by the animals (I guess cows are very big when you are very small); but today Susie and Noah both loved seeing the goats, horses, pigs, cows, calves, sheep, lambs, ducks and chickens...

All in all, it has been a really good day. We're all exhausted now! Tomorrow we have a herd/flock of little friends - girls from nursery, boys from church - is this some underhand evangelistic ploy on susannah's part?! - coming for a party in the afternoon. I've no idea what state I'll be in by the evening...