Maddie's Geburtstag

[click to enlarge] Maddie's birthday was on Wednesday. She has had her birthday in Vienna three times and in Berlin once, which means she often doesn't get to have her friends around (which is why we did this), but she does get some incredible cakes. This year she chose the ice cream cake from the italian eissalon on Schwedenplatz. After we brought it out to thaw, we went into the living room to open presents. When we asked the boys to throw away the paper, they came running back in squealing and bringing a terrible smell -- the plastic lid to the cake had been left on a burner where a certain small person likes to turn the dials. Which is how we almost managed to start a fire with an ice cream cake. Difficult to do, I know, but if anyone could manage it, we could.

Maddie got a book, a DVD, and then more grownup things like clothes, jewelry accessories and hair dye. It's a tradition that she does temporary hair dye while she's here. Friends who work at the UN even got her some American treats from the commissary. And she got e-mails from friends back home and got to skype with Shumway grandparents. Technology has opened up all kinds of things for us on this trip. In the evening, we went to the kinderfreibad with two families who go all the way back to Rob's student days at BYU. They reminisced about their roles onstage and the kids dove into the melee in the pool. It was wonderful to be in a cool pool. It was fun for Maddie to have other kids to celebrate with besides her brothers. It was nice to be with old friends. We were the last ones out!

Rob and I are completely startled by this girl. We can't believe that she's eleven. We still imagine her to be the dark-haired baby, and not this young woman who can do the grocery shopping or astound with her vocabulary or keep up a punishing schedule of school, violin, swim team, activities and friends. Amazing!