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| Buttercream frosting beats Doritos. |
April of course is Ivan's birth month, summarized in this photo album. His actual birthday was spent at the zoo, where he had fun observing the animals and learning how to tell the time on his new pocket watch (inspired by the Lizzie Bennet Diaries; I'm still looking for Lizzie's Pessinus Garden Necklace from Anthropologie). More gifts were opened when Nikita returned from a big chess tournament in Nashville (there was also a national cheerleading competition), and after his birthday party later in the month. The party was actually our first one at the house, prompting some serious spring cleaning. I was worried about keeping the guests entertained, but it turns out a birthday party with boys is very easy. One just needs a soccer ball, toy guns, balloons, and boxes. Beautiful weather helps, too.
Ivan's turning a year older coincided with some key developments. Not only did Ivan learn to tie his own shoes (becoming only the second one in his class to do so), but he started reading to me in English - easy readers like Dr. Seuss and Stinky Clothes. Nikita also got the reading bug. He actually began Harry Potter in German (the same day Galina asked me to reserve Fifty Shades of Grey in Russian!), taking the book with him to his various afterschool programs. And when the boys weren't trying my patience with the piano (Ivan for not attempting new pieces; Nikita for intentionally playing wrong notes), the boys enjoyed bowling and biking - it was finally spring!
I would be remiss in my blogging duties if I didn't say something about the Boston Marathon bombing. We live near the marathon route, but not by the finish line. I was actually taking a nap when the bombs went off, and woken by my brother's call. The sirens the rest of that afternoon were surreal, but nothing like the internet buzz at 6 am a few days later. I woke up to news of a shooting at MIT the night before (thank goodness Nikita and Igor weren't on campus playing chess!) and institution of shelter-in-place. Although the weather was beautiful (we let the boys play outside - without their toy guns), I stayed glued to the computer, reading about German children birthday games (for Ivan's party) in between WBUR updates and Facebook reactions.
Although the Boston Marathon bombing seems like Boston's version of 9/11, it didn't feel that way to me. Sure, I enjoyed Colbert's reaction and buzzfeed's list, but I didn't break out in hives or feel compelled to visit the site as I did in 2001. Despite living in the Boston area longer than I did in NYC, I still feel like a New Yorker at heart. But I am very proud to live in a country that will go to your hospital room to read you your Miranda rights, a state that doesn't have the death penalty, and a city whose citizens minimize casualties instead of patrolling the streets with military-grade weapons.
