Kampai!

We were celebrating Jeff's birthday earlier this week, and inevitably the dinner conversation turned to who has the next birthday. The late fall and winter are a celebratory smorgasbord at our house. We start with Leon and Michael's birthday the week of Thanksgiving. Then there is Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. We have Jeff's birthday in mid-January, Natalia's in late January, and mine in early February. Oh, and the Big Gane Which Must Not Be Named is in there and we always go all-out with a crazy appetizer feast. And because we have preschoolers, even Valentine's Day is a big deal. (Then March rolls around and we are incredibly grateful for income tax refunds and post-holiday diets.)

We talked about Natalia's birthday and if we should take her out to dinner. As we talked, we discussed that no one went out for their first birthdays. Plus, unlike her siblings at this age, Natalia isn't eating tons of solids yet. It's not for lack of teeth (numbers 9 and 10 popped through last week). She is just having a tough time with a lot of food. There are some, um, icky diapies involved. (REALLY icky diapies.) And we are lacking experimental time. So she eats lots of non-wheat carbs and still drinks a whole lot of mommy milk. She's not starving. She has the cheeks and thighs to prove it.

Last night we went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. Much like Disney World, it required a lot of prior discussion with the kids to explain what was okay when someone is cooking with fire at your table.

We were seated with another family who had two girls the ages of the boys and Natalia. Ree graciously sat next to the mom from the other family, and by the end of dinner they were best buds as Ree discovered the little girl was good friends with a girl in Ree's preschool class. (Honestly, not surprising. Wilmington is freakishly small, especially when it comes to people with preschool and school aged kids. It is challenging to go somewhere and not meet someone who shares a mutual friend. Verdict is still out as to whether or not this is a good thing.)

Leon, of course, was super excited. He was a ball of nervous energy when we got there and he wouldn't stop chewing on his fork. Once the food and the chef arrived, he relaxed. He had "kiddie chopsticks" and he ate his entire salad with them while taking in the chef's every move. His favorite part, though, was the FIRE! The table was lit with a flourish as the chef started cooking, and later the chef made a volcano. Leon was a huge fan.

Michael was...overwhelmed. Poor little guy just shut down. He couldn't even sit up in his chair. He did eat a ton of food though.

I had so much fun watching Natalia. She was her own show. Natalia LOVED it. Every little piece of the experience. She thought it was the greatest place ever. There were people everywhere to watch. There was constant entertainment. There was fried rice with eggs and peas and carrots to eat. And, yes, she too liked the fire. She clapped after the chef lit the table. She then proceeded to watch his every move. And when he said goodbye, she dutifully waved at him.

So now we know. If we do decide to go out for her birthday, there will be no visit to McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A. This girl needs her some stir-fried vegetables and a restaurant full of smiling people. Kampai!