SIP birthdays and Christmas in the Park

I had totally thought that we'd be done with Covid and SIP by the time we reached fall, so in the spring, I hadn't imagined that Jad and Sora would have SIP birthdays, and yet they both celebrated their respective 3rd and 6th birthdays during this season of pandemic.

Since Jad was only turning three, we opted for a simple preschool celebration. I brought cupcakes and made goodie bags, and he celebrated with his preschool friends. In the evening, it was our weekly visit to my parents' house so we then had a combined November birthday celebration to celebrate Matt, Jad, Sora and my birthdays.

I think Sora was displeased with having to share a birthday celebration with three others *eye roll*

Since Kai had had a small birthday party with close friends we decided to do the same for Sora. We invited over two classmates over for a painting and jewelry making party. I think she had a good time, and I'm grateful that she had a chance to celebrate with friends in spite of Covid.

Today, we went to Christmas in the Park. I checked back in our photos, and we've basically gone every year since we've had children except for 2014, when Kai and Sora were both little, so it's something of a tradition for our family. This year they've reimagined the spectacle as a drive through event and I have to say that it made me tear up as I was driving past the familiar dioramas in their reimagined forms. That said, the kids loved the lights and their only complaint was that they couldn't drive through it again after we had finished. It was a nice bit of Christmas cheer in the midst of these trying times.

Then (circa 12/2016)..

.. and now 😢

Not the best picture of the kids, but really the best we can do in the light of the situation. A fitting analogy for 2020

As an aside, when we got home the kids played Battleship and Sora lost. She promptly stormed upstairs and slammed the door. In the midst of her post-loss throes of misery, she mourned, "You don't understand what my life is like!" Nik snickered and I had to restrain myself. Six going on sixteen, much?