Elie's 4th Birthday!

Yesterday was Elie's 4 Year birthday.  I can't believe how big he's getting!

We have our birthday routine down pretty well now and I'm really happy with it.

Prior to the birthday, starting on four days to his birthday (since it was his fourth birthday), each day when he woke up, he got four kisses and I'd tell him it was x days to four (4 days to 4, 3 days to 4, etc.) and I told him stories about his birth/baby-hood/toddler-hood.

On the day of his birthday, when he woke up, we (Yoav actually started singing first!) sang our special birthday song that I've been singing for a few years - it comes from Magic Cabin (slightly modified below):

It was four years ago, Today, Today;
That Elie came down from the Heavens to stay;
He came to bring gladness and joy to the Earth;
Good people and angels were here for his birth;
So let us now join them in singing;
With beautiful birthday bells ringing;
Happy Birthday Elie. Happy Birthday Elie.

Then, I ran downstairs to light candles on our "candle lake" and then sang the Magic Cabin song again as Elie came down the stairs and I met him to put on his birthday crown.

Elie got downstairs to find the candles in the Candle Lake and his presents at his spot at the table:

We sang Happy Birthday (Yom Huledet Sameach) and he blew out the candles:

And started opening gifts (only the handmade ones are from me/us - the rest are from grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins)...  First wooden Ostheimer animals that Jeremy picked up in Neve Tzedek at Omer:

Then the doll's crib from Ikea (with it's horrible cotton/poly bedding - I made new bedding while the kids were playing with all the new toys):

Yoav got one too as I knew it was too special to be just for Elie...  Yoav put his together himself and Elie and I put together Elie's:

Here they are finished with the new bedding.  I made pillows, pillowcases and mattresses (with quilt batting inside).  The quilts were gifts from a few years ago (here for the D9P one - I didn't post about the other).

Then a doll cardigan and hat I made with Purewool yarn.  The cardigan pattern is from Shelley Caskey at Waldorfmama.  The hat is my standard - the infant hat in "Natural Knits for Babies and Moms" by Lousia Harding.

Yoav helped Elie with the buttons:

Here are both dolls in their cardigans and hats (Yoav got one too - that story is here).  I also made a new skirt for Elie's doll using the Oliver & S Lazy Days Skirt Pattern.

Then a Debresk tow truck also from Omer:

Yoav was just as happy as Elie with that one ;)

That was about it for the birthday excitement.  We didn't do school - just played with the new things and had a relaxing day with Yoav's horseback lesson (and lunch at the amazing restaurant at the ranch) in the afternoon.

Happy Birthday Elie!  We love you!!!