Rayyan's third birthday !

Rayyan turned 3 on April 18th and his grandparents arrived from Jodhpur a day earlier in anticipation of his birthday 'bash'. I felt very queasy with that invisible pressure of knowing that his Dada & Dadi felt disappointed that there was no birthday party for Rayyan, specially because I go out of the way to organize a rather ostentatious party every year for my daughter ! What they don't know is that after every such party I vow never to have another one again. Because I invariably end up planning the party keeping the adult guests in mind even if I don't want to, and no matter how well it is planned, I get to do the donkey's job without a minute to spare to be with Ruhi and her friends. At the end of a rather expensive and tiresome day I have always ended up wishing I had spent the day alone with my daughter...
Ruhi loves her birthday parties. Her favorite year round game is to organise birthday parties for herself. Sometimes imaginary. Rayyan, I think is too little to understand what it means to have your own birthday party ! He believes that birthdays are wonderful events that other kids have and where you get return gifts. So everyone who said 'happy birthday' to him got a 'happy birthday' back in return. 

Ruhi was initially  grumpy about Rayyan's birthday since she can't deal with him getting such special attention solo ! But since she loves playing hostess to her friends and since this is her favorite game she enthusiastically invited her girlfriends in the neighborhood at rather short notice upon my suggestion. I organised for some finger food, choco pies, popcorn, chips, icecream and other kiddie stuff while dadaji baked a few cakes. Yes, a FEW of them, don't ask me why !!

Rayyan does not have any friends yet in School or in the neighborhood. He usually plays with Ruhi's girlfriends in the park so he was delighted when the girls dropped in with presents. Ruhi snatched the presents and opened them for him promptly demanding ownership of them. She even insisted in cutting his cake for him but could not get away with that one! I was very proud of my boy as he confidently blew out the candles and cut his cake without help. He will be fine, I know, with or without me around.

I played games with the Kids, helped them make a giant card for Rayyan, we danced and had great fun. In the evening my parents, brother & best friend dropped in for dinner. Rayyan had a blast cutting another of the few cakes grandpa had baked ! He is a delightful boy who smiles a lot and talks nines to the dozen but is shy with strangers. He preens for hours in front of the mirror and makes eyes at little girls. He tells me I should wear hair clips and notices my nailpaint, earstuds and new clothes unlike his father! His favourite thing nowadays is to call me 'Meri Mummy' ! I fall in love with him a little bit more every other day...