Happy Birfday, happy birfday to Ista

Istra is here kissing a book. But this is not the proof you've been looking for that she is insane: the book, in fact, tells her to kiss it. And one must respect books. It's a book all about kissing animals faces. So you can see, Istra's birthday was quite educational.

Istra, besides being educated, did some educating. She taught me (presuming she isn't insane) how insane a pile of presents is. Especially to a two year old. No offense to the contributors to the pile (remnants thereof seen in delightfully colourful tatters in the adjacent picture).

What happened was that Istra opened a present. It was a wooden shape puzzle which made animal sounds when you got an animal into the right spot. Istra loved it. She was playing with it very happily indeed, until it was suggested to her that she open another present. She ignored this ridiculous suggestion. Why on earth would she want to open another present when she's completely happy with the one she has just opened and is far from done playing with it? When it was suggested more strongly that she put the fun thing away and go open more presents, she wailed. Of course the wailing didn't last long... but still, it seemed to me she was right to wail.

Before the birthday party, my friend Dean/Nurridin spent some time with us at the cottage. He taught Istra to appreciate sleeping bees; and Istra assured him that caterpillars make terrible noise, especially when they touch you.

Sorry to take so long to get a link to these birthday pictures up...