How does "Happy Birthday" sound on a zither?

It's nearly inconceivable that Zachary is already a year old - happy first birthday, Zachary! I'm so glad that I got back in time for it -- when he woke up and came into bed with us, we sang him happy birthday and he gave us a big smile, before climbing all over me and pulling at my face. Then it was present time. He'd received cute cards and a variety of gifts (toys, blocks, books, clothes, a giant puppet theater, a tricycle, and much more) from friends and family over the past few days - thank you so much to everyone for their generosity and for helping us celebrate his birthday!

I'd brought him his first proper Paddington Bear from Hamleys (don't worry, I selected it after that conference call), along with a bobby (British policeman) rubber ducky and a battery-powered floating turtle that sprays water out of his shell. Zachary was somewhat interested in the last two when we used them for baffy time, though I think Meh and I enjoy the spraying turtle more than he does. Meh got him special baby crayons, a pirate doll, and three excellent books (including a replacement for the ABC's book we loved but had lost months before). And of course Meh brought her mad skills to bear to properly celebrate his birthday.

Meh makes amazing cakes. (Ask her to read that sentence aloud for proper 'Meh' emphasis.) And pies. And cupcakes. Really, if it's dessert, and she makes it, it's going to rock. But she truly outdid herself for Zachary's birthday. After brainstorming a variety of themes over months, she struck on the brilliant idea to create an alphabet block cake with a "1", a "Z", and objects that begin with the letter Z. For those who aren't yet zither enthusiasts, enjoy the Wikipedia entry, though my favorite was the amazing zebra. Of course the cake also matched the party's theme colors of brown (chocolate cake), white, and blue (fondant) -- friend J approved emphatically, as it was close to her own wedding colors.

A principal requirement of the first birthday is the first exposure to serious amounts of refined sugar, and Zachary didn't disappoint, with a series of faces and grabbed fistfuls of cupcake and frosting to keep everyone entertained. Note also his birthday hat and the clearly-designed-for-one-occasion '1st Birthday Boy' bib.