Jonah's birthday party

This weekend was inordinately social. We hosted Max's class and families for brunch on Sat, went to the Botanic Gardens with Entin Bells and Sam and Alani on Sat night, and took the train to Manhattan for Jonah's birthday on Sunday. Max played straight through and seemed to be in a delightful mood - I think this is really what he want, nearly constant social activity. He doesn't seem overtired from it. Rather he seems recharged. He's been playing in the intervals in this lovely way by himself adn with Eliza, helping her to get a toy he isn't too interested in (though he's pretty much completely interested in anything she picks up), and doing a lot of imaginative, independent play on his own.

At the Bontanic Gardens, we saw trains running through historic and actual NYC landmarks made entirely of organic materials. (Window glass of melted sugar. Statue of Liberty made of palm fronds. The Guggenheim as tiers of giant mushrooms.) After, there was a tree lighting, and Max, Alani and Miriam ran screaming with delight through the wide, cold paths to the cars.