Happy Birthday Rosy

Today I was at my parents house to celebrate Rosy's fourth birthday. Hard to believe really. It's been such a short, yet long time.

I really like my niece at this age. Her personality is beginning to define itself, lending ever more credence to my theory that Rosy is in fact, the reincarnation of my maternal grandmother.

Rosy is, bar none, the bossiest person I have ever met in my life.

I was persona non grata today I'll have you know. There were too many new and exciting people to play with. I kept trying to get Rosy's attention, waving to her and saying hello, only to be blatantly ignored. On my third wave, I was allowed to join her and Sarah for the construction of a farm game she had gotten from her grandparents. This was all a ruse of course, as five minutes later, I was instructed by Rosy to get her an apple juice. So much for that. I felt like David Hasselhoff trying to get a part in the next Scorcese film, only to have the script for Knight Rider: Tunnel Vision 3 land on his desk. Sigh.

Today's celebration felt somewhat strange initially in that here I was at my parents house, and I knew less than half the people there. My sister's acquaintances are all very nice and really made Rosy's day special, but I didn't feel things tempered socially until the bocce ball tournament.

My father simply cannot help himself. Get a group of people together and inevitably, the fiery embers of competition alight within him. Next thing you know, you're in the midst of a take- no-prisoners Trivial Pursuit competition or in the case of today's gathering, a bocce ball extravaganza.

As usual, the women kicked everyone's asses.

The highlight for me was the Dumbarton Mob's gift to Rosy of a Harry Potter kit, replete with Hogwart's rob, wand and Harry Potteresque glasses. Rosy really looked the part, so much so that I wished there was a real Hogwart's that she could attend.

But you take what you can get in this life. Rosy settled for turning me into a frog. Apparently I'll be turned back into my normal self in time for work Monday. As you can imagine, typing this has been hell.

She was also good enough to wave her wand to start my car. I think she may have also fixed the problem with my transmission. The car ran like a dream the whole way home.

Oh and a note to any triatheletes in my readership: make sure you eat some Care Bears birthday cake before the big event. I myself will be cruising on the sugar high from my piece into the wee hours.