Joan's Fifth Birthday

There’s this book I used to love as a child. It’s called The Choosing Day, by Jennifer Beck. In it a girl, Briar, is allowed to do whatever she wants all day long because it’s her birthday. Joan loves the book, too. Of course she does! There’s dress-ups and lemonade and rainbow sponge cake.

At the end of last month, Joan turned five. Like every other day since lockdown began, we spent the day together at home, venturing out momentarily for a stroll. But it wasn’t any other day; it was Joan’s choosing day. And best of all, Ben had taken a week of annual leave so he was present for all of it - the opening of her gifts, the croissants with her new strawberry jam, the making (and eating!) of her birthday cheesecake, the roast parsnips and baby Dutch carrots (Joan’s favourite) for lunch, and my attempt to make pass-the-parcel fun without a throng of kids to participate. In the evening we made pizza and watched Bambi for first time. When Bambi and Thumper were playing on the ice Joan giggled uncontrollably. Ben caught it on camera and sent it around to our parents.

Earlier in the month I ordered rainbow bunting from Etsy, in the hope it would give the dining room a festive feel for Joan’s birthday. I’ll be keeping that idea for Walt’s birthday, as the bunting didn’t arrive in time. Instead, Ben and I strung fairy lights and decorated the room with fresh flowers. The morning of her birthday Joan woke bright and early - like she does every other morning. When she saw the fairy lights twinkling in the darkness I could tell she knew it was going to be a special day. Here are some pictures.