I finally hung up the poster that Grandpa Jim gave us for winter solstice - a calendar of the moon’s phases for each day of 2008.

Jared was studying it the next day and immediately asked to call Grandpa.

“Can Grandpa bring his telescope over on Thursday? It’s a new moon - perfect for sky watching!”

To be honest, no night is perfect for sky watching when you live across the street from the mall - the epitomy of light pollution! And it turned out that Jared misread the schedule somehow and that the moon was half full. But that didn’t stop us from calling Grandpa right away and asking him to bring the telescope over.

He brings his small telescope every week in the winter. It’s harder in the summer because obviously the sun is kinda in the way until past the time when Jim and Penny would be heading back to Berkeley. And since the weather here isn’t prohibitive after dark in the winter, that’s our best time. But Grandpa would never ignore a special request.

It’s hard for young children to see in the scope. They can’t hold their heads so still and they don’t know what they’re looking at.

When Matthew looked at Jupiter, Grandpa said, “look for a ball. Can you see a giant ball?”

Matthew said, “No ball. I see a disk.”

We’ll take it.

I love these low-key happy birthdays.

Matthew turned 4 yesterday. His brothers woke up remembering it was his birthday and sang to him immediately (not the you-smell-like-a-monkey version!). I think he got everything he wanted - at least he says he did:

• Ice cream for breakfast!
• Pop sicles at his last day of camp in the morning!
• Oma and Opa and friends visiting! (Including best friend Anneke - the little monkeys!)
• A new Indiana Jones Wii game - just what he wanted - thanks Nana and Shana!
• Phone calls from grandparents, uncles and aunts! (Sorry to everyone who caught him when he was more interested in his new Wii game than in talking to them…. does anyone have pointers on that? Ideas about how to remind them that family is more important than video games? (I’m serious - I’m taking notes if anyone has any….)
• Requested dinner chicken parmesan!
• Presents to open!
• Birthday cake with sprinkles and with 4 candles plus 1 to grow on to blow out and sparklers too!

Last year for Matthew’s birthday we were in the High Sierra Nevada, near the San Francisco  Sierra Nevada Field Campus. Grandma Penny and Grandpa Jim rented a BEAUTIFUL cabin and we had great adventures.

But we forgot cake! SO we decorated a platter with oreos (don’t tell daddy), m&m’s, blueberries and 2 table candles!

That was another low-key but happy birthday.

I think I really confused Matthew yesterday morning though. We had all told him over and over that 3 was almost over and that he would turn 4. He knew it the second he woke up that - he was thrilled to be 4!

However, it can be very hard for a mommy to see her little babies growing up up up! In March I told Jared he was not allowed to turn 6 and enter real boyhood from little-boyhood. He thought this was very funny.

Yesterday morning as he crawled into our bed where his whole family was waiting for him, I told Matthew that he had to stay 3 because I didn’t want him to turn 4, he freaked out! He started yelling at me and he  actually looked scared - like somehow I had ripped the fabric of time and it was all so unfair.

If I only I had the power to control time! Of course, for now he doesn’t have to know I can’t. For a little while longer Glen and I can be omnipotent. Although, for the Lipka boys 4 has traditionally been the age where they challenged that notion with every fiber of their being. We’re in for a fun year!

This delicious super food recipe is a great way to get spinach into your children. It came to me from my friend Sheila Dickinson’s Berry Boy Smoothie in the ECPC Cook Book and from Darcie’s friend Amy who amazed me by getting Matthew to drink a green smoothie.

My amalgamation of these recipes create a delicious purple smoothie. The spinach is completely hidden by the strong color of the blueberry.

1 cup OJ

1.5 - 2 cup raw spinach

1 cup vanilla NF yogurt

1 cup frozen blueberries

Mix in blender. Add OJ if it’s too thick.

Drink while it’s fresh! It sort of deteriorates after about 20 minutes - then you can see the spinach! Also, clean it up soon after eating! Don’t leave the cups or blender to sit. They’re much easier to clean if you do it right away!