The Birthday Tree

We've got another birthday in our house this month.  I pulled out this one for some afternoon reading...

The Birthday Tree 

Paul Fleischmann

pictures by Marcia Sewall 1979

Here's a simple story with a hint of folk magic about a sailor who leaves the sea behind.  He settles inland and plants an apple tree when his son his born.  Somehow that tree is tied to their son and even when he goes off to sea on his own, the apple tree has a way of letting them know how he is doing.  

Little Gorilla

I swear I don't know where the time goes!  Days turn into weeks, there's one activity after another, and the next thing I know another month has gone by.  We just celebrated Charlotte's birthday and though I have a house still filled with dirty dishes, leftover cake and meandering balloons, I feel like maybe now I can catch a breath.

The night before Charlotte's party we read this book about an adorable little gorilla.  All the animals love him, even after he grows into a very big gorilla.

 

Little Gorilla

Ruth Bornstein 1986

 

(Look at that!  Little Gorilla was turning 5, just like Charlotte!)

My Birthday Party

I love the day after a birthday party when I can have coffee and birthday cake for breakfast!

Yesterday our backyard was swarming with kids playing on the treehouse and swings.  And then Charlotte tore through her birthday presents so fast that I have no idea who gave what.  It was a busy day and so much fun and we were all delirously exhausted by the end of it.

My Birthday Party

Poor Charlotte was sick on her actual birthday this year. She didn't even want to eat her piece of cake. I read this book to her in bed because it's about a little boy's birthday party. They rhyme is nothing to rave about, but I love the pictures. They must have been good inspiration for our party because my cousin commented that our backyard looked like something from the 1930's.