Nikita's birthday and end-of-semester

We celebrated Nikita's 4th birthday with a small gathering on Saturday, just us and my parents. Dinner was very simple: broiled salmon, mashed potatoes, Russian salads (beets, Korean carrots, seaweed). My mom contributed Embutido (Filipino meatloaf), and I baked a fantastic chocolate pound cake for his birthday cake. Birthday dinners don't get much simpler than this.

Nikita loved his presents. We finally bought him an easel, as well as nature observation tools (e.g., binoculars, a container with a magnifying glass), a lacing toy (trains, of course), and a fireman hat. Vanya got a ball, which he loved. From my parents, Nikita received two DVDs which I requested, "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins". So, when Nikita isn't drawing, he's singing "Do Re Mi". Vanya meanwhile plays football by himself, but he's also quite into music. He often hits a particular button on his caterpillar-shaped Alphabet Pal to play the alphabet song, then bounces in rhythm and "sings" along.

But mostly, Nikita and Vanya screech to each other. This high-pitched form of communication is a bit trying.

Last Thursday was the last day of classes, and I have one more set of papers to go through before I can be full-time mom. On Friday, Igor and I took the boys in for their well-visits. On hindsight, it was not wise since they each received 4 shots (i.e., before Nikita's birthday dinner). But the visits went well. Both boys are (barely) holding onto their growth curves, and Vanya apparently has to eat more spinach and red meat because his iron level is borderline; my mom thinks perhaps their blood samples were switched because Ivan eats better than Nikita, though just a little better (for the past two months, Ivan doesn't eat as much as he used to. Learning from his big brother?). But the doctor seemed impressed with Nikita's drawing skills; Nikita can draw all the shapes, and many body parts of people. Good thing we bought the easel.